Sky
by Trinity23Rose
Summary: It's the worst timing possible for Thelonious to fall in love, but the fact that the object of his affection likes his friend, Marcus, more is worse. (Marcus, OC and Thelonious following the canon with some changes and AU ending)
1. Chapter 1

**Description: **Marcus Kane never thought he would be able to fall in love. Also, he never anticipated that the girl Jaha wanted to marry would be the one to change his whole life. (Marcus&amp;OC following the canon with some changes)

**AN: **Jaha doesn't have a son here and he wasn't married before either.

* * *

**Part 1**

It was yet another weekly Council meeting and it would be boring just like all the precedent ones if it wasn't for the mission the members of the Council needed to discus and vote on. Marcus Kane was particularly focused on the task as he was determined to make sure that the very human species survived, even if he would have to pay the price of his own life in the process. That wasn't necessary for the moment as they all decided that they would save resources and lives when sending a hundred of young criminals to the ground instead of just executing them.

"I'm telling you, my friend, I think I've finally found her," Jaha's words barely registered in Marcus's brain and he frowned, raising his head from the tablet on which he was double checking everything that needed to be prepared.

"You've found whom?" Kane just asked, not really following.

"I met a girl and she's everything I ever wanted her to be," Thelonious explained with that characteristic spark in his eyes. He was already too infatuated, Marcus thought but wasn't really surprised by the fact since Jaha was a complete opposite of him. He was a man of a great faith whereas Marcus relayed only on what he could prove and touch. Kane had been actually surprised that Jaha was the one the Council had picked as the Chancellor, but maybe they needed to share his faith in such dark for them times. Marcus was all about the action whereas Thelonious had a real impact on the people on the Ark by giving them hope even when they couldn't see any themselves. Maybe that was what made him a great leader. That and his ruthlessness in executing the law, Marcus decided. It was actually quite dangerous but also effective combination.

"Don't you think the timing just isn't right?" Kane dared notice with a frown marrying his face. "Chancellor, our whole civilization may soon cease to exist if we don't do something about it. You cannot possibly be thinking about…"

"The plan to safe us is already set in motion, Marcus," Thelonious interrupted him in a calm voice. "And I'm not as stupid as to bring another human being to life. I know we have a problem with overpopulation, but this doesn't mean that I cannot be with someone. I just want someone to come home to."

"I thought you've just met her," Marcus pointed out when raising his eyebrows. Or maybe he shouldn't be in such a shock, maybe this kind of behavior was to be expected from Thelonious. He believed in fate more than any other person Marcus knew including his own mother and that was something.

"I'm telling you, Marcus, once you see the one, you'll just know. Of course I won't just propose to her, that would be foolish and would scare her off. But I feel that she is the one. Never in my life a girl has made such an impression on me."

"Well, then congratulations are in order, I believe," Kane said with a small smile that yet didn't reach his eyes. He was too troubled by the overpopulation problem they seemed to be having. Even if the plan to send the 100 to the ground worked, they still wouldn't have enough drop ships for the rest to follow. And they certainly didn't have the resources and means to build new ones.

"I'll introduce you tonight and you'll see how amazing a woman she is," Thelonious said when placing his hand briefly on Marcus's arm.

"What does she do on the ship?" his friend asked out of sheer curiosity. If Jaha, the Chancellor and therefore the most important person onboard, was taken with a girl, she must've been special.

"She's the advisor," he received an unexpected answer.

"Really?" Marcus was once again rendered surprised. He'd used to think that being an advisor, by some also called a listener, wasn't worth anybody's time, but paradoxically the longer people lived in space, the more of them started panicking. They were afraid that humanity would forever be locked in a ship drifting through space. They were scared something would malfunction and they would all die, the Ark becoming their eternal tomb. Marcus had to admit that those fears had grounds, but of course the Council couldn't just make it a public knowledge. So yes, he decided, maybe in such hard times people really needed someone to talk to. Someone who would listen and help them deal with their personal problems. Only Marcus was never one of the people to seek help. He believed in solving his own problems and dealing with his demons on his own. He also needed to be strong in order to be the one helping, the one to figure out a way for the human race to make it to the ground. If people started seeing him visiting the advisor, their faith in his strength and ability to rule would waver.

* * *

Sky Forbes was just finishing her last session for the day. The woman, who came to her for help, was grieving after her husband's unexpected death. She didn't know how to go on without him as now she was all alone since they couldn't have children. It wasn't even because of the Gaia doctrine, they just hadn't been lucky enough to conceive. Now the poor woman was left all alone and she needed help. It was in situations like this one that Sky truly felt like she'd chosen the right calling. So many people sought out her help, so many people needed her and she was truly helping them. Not all her patients were so lucky to have found peace, but she did what she could and was very proud of some of her results. One thing she could be sure of - without her those people would truly be lost. After all, she was currently the only advisor on the whole ship.

The session came to an end and the woman, though still not in a good shape, thanked Sky and slowly made her way to the door. Sky knew she wouldn't be able to help her right away, but she had hope for the future. She had to have it in order to survive in such a place. Growing up on the Ark has been hardening people from the moment they were born and if they were weak, they didn't make it far.

While leaving, the woman passed the Chancellor in the door and nodded in greeting to which he responded with a friendly smile.

Sky almost sighed as she spotted him. She still didn't know what it was that she felt towards Thelonious Jaha, but she was afraid that it wouldn't go any deeper than just friendship. She liked him. In fact, she liked him very much as a person. When he'd first asked her out, she'd been flattered. He was a handsome man and she noticed that, she did, but she started to doubt that there would be anything more between them pretty fast after that. _Now, try telling him that_, she thought with a frown. How could she turn down the Chancellor? Would he punish her? Would he degrade her? Was he capable of it just because of a wounded ego? She wasn't sure. He seemed nice, but she didn't know him well enough to predict his behavior. As the advisor she could read people pretty well. Unfortunately for her though, Thelonious wasn't as easy to read. What she'd so far discovered about him was that he was a complex man, capable of the worst deed just to ensure the species' survival, but in the same time he possessed such a deep faith that it truly overwhelmed her. Still, that didn't tell her anything about his potential reaction to her rejecting him. Everyone she knew either feared or respected the Council members, but maybe that respect came from fear. The one thing Sky was sure of was that any other girl in her place would jump the opportunity and would already be trying to tie the knot with the Chancellor. It was the best way to ensure one's survival, to become almost untouchable and that woman would surely get one of the first seats on the dropship if they were ever going to return to the ground. Only she just wasn't her. Sky couldn't enter a relationship out of convenience. She needed to have genuine feelings for the man.

"Have you finished for today?" Thelonious asked, sending her his usual nice smile. She had no other choice but to smile back, only in the same time she felt the nagging fear in her guts. Would he smile at her like that if she just told him what she really thought? She would have to eventually, wouldn't she?

"Yes, I am finished." She just nodded, choosing the easy way out at the moment. "Is there something you want?" she prompted.

"You know very well what I want. Come and have dinner with me," he suggested, reaching his arm out to her.

She had no choice again but to take it in order to accept his invitation, yet as soon as they found themselves in the hall, she let go of him, not wanting to give him the wrong idea. It was starting to get pretty tricky, she thought. She truly liked his company, but she liked him as a friend. Whenever he did something that would indicate them being more, she just felt uncomfortable.

"Chancellor Jaha," she suddenly said, desperate to finally have that talk she was so afraid of. How hard could it be, really? She should just open her mouth and say that one simple sentence: _I like you only as a friend._

"How many times do I have to tell you to call me by my name? I'm not a Chancellor to you, Sky," he scolded her.

"Thelonious, then," she corrected herself, but before she managed to finish, he cut in again.

"There's someone I want you to meet. You have to know who Kane, my friend in the Council, is."

"Of course, but I've never actually talked to him," she admitted, nearly sighing heavily.

"That's about to change."

They entered the diner just then and Jaha immediately led Sky towards Marcus. Even though officially he and Kane were members of the Council, in private they were very good friends. Marcus called Thelonious the Chancellor out of habit, but he treated him like someone closer than his boss nevertheless. It was only natural that Jaha, when having no family on his own, sought Marcus's approval. He'd seen the surprise on Kane's face as he'd told him about Sky earlier and it hadn't missed his attention that his friend had been judging him for not thinking about the survival of the human race and falling in love instead, especially in the times they were living. Jaha didn't hold it against Kane, but he wanted him to see how special Sky was, so he would at least understand.

"Marcus, this is Sky Forbes, the woman I told you about," Thelonious introduced them once Marcus spotted them approaching him. "Sky, Marcus Kane, a Council member and my close friend."

"Pleased to meet you, Councilor Kane," Sky said as Marcus turned to her to take a closer look. He was nearly struck by the clear blue of her eyes. Thelonious hadn't done her any justice when he'd described her earlier and he'd clearly omitted all the things worth mentioning. He hadn't told Marcus that Sky had the most beautiful blue eyes he'd ever seen and they looked amazing in contrast with her long, black and slightly wavy hair. It wasn't straight, but it wasn't curly either, Kane decided. Sky's skin reminded him of an alabaster, at least that was one of the epithets authors could use to describe it centuries ago. In the end, Marcus came to a conclusion that Sky Forbes was strikingly beautiful and he could only hope that it wasn't the only feature that made Jaha fall in love with her so fast.

"Call me Marcus," he just said in a polite tone when shaking her hand. They were looking at each other for a little longer, trying to assess what the other was thinking. There was also something hanging in the air, something like a mutual understanding and kinship between them. It was definitely a connection Sky hadn't felt when meeting Thelonious for the first time. There was something about Marcus Kane that actually spoke to her. Maybe he was just more her type than Jaha was. He was tall, his body was lean and it seemed to be nicely toned and then Sky saw his eyes. They were so brown and so warm that it truly contradicted all the nasty rumors she kept hearing about the guy's malevolence. Still, people didn't speak of Jaha well either. Not after so many ill-grounded floatings.

"Ok, we'll go have dinner now," Thelonious decided, pulling Sky away from Marcus and being completely oblivious to their mutual interest.

As Sky was walking away she couldn't help but look back at Kane. There was something about that man that spoke to her, she decided. As the advisor she'd seen so many broken people, so much pain and tragedy happening in human life that she could tell that Marcus possessed a wounded and troubled soul.

Kane, on the other hand, just stood there, feeling like he'd just seen light in the dark universe they were drifting in. Then he felt ashamed of all those silly thoughts. Wasn't he the one to tell Jaha to focus on the survival of their species instead of on some girl? Besides, Jaha was the Chancellor and even if Marcus decided to get between those two, Thelonious had the right to Sky since he'd met and taken an interest in her first. It would be a dishonorable thing to do if Kane showed Sky any romantic interest now. In the end, he just shook his head at his own foolishness and schooled himself back under control.


	2. Chapter 2

**Part 2**

Marcus had been watching Jaha closely ever since the man had told him about Sky and he still didn't approve. He especially didn't appreciate Jaha's indiscretion. Being in the Council meant being secretive, that one should go without saying. The Councilors couldn't even talk to their families about the matters discussed on the meetings and Marcus certainly never talked to his mother about them. Not that he talked to her a lot those days. He loved and respected her, but they just saw the world differently. She was a person of a great faith, a dreamer almost, whereas he was a man of science. He believed in numbers, in what he could prove and in what he saw on the computer simulations. And those simulations weren't good. They had to send the 100 to the ground as they planned because there was truly no other choice. Still, the odds of their survival were very small. For all Marcus knew, they would land on Earth and be killed by the radiation within hours, maybe days, but that was it. And then the Council would have to sacrifice about three hundred people in order to buy the rest more time on the ship, more time to maybe, just maybe, get to Earth a year later and hope for the best. If they even had a year. They could all as well kill themselves now.

All those new problems were just another reason to why Marcus couldn't understand Thelonious's behavior since he told Sky everything. Kane did actually understand his friend's need to talk to someone, but being the Chancellor meant being responsible, it meant putting one's needs behind the needs of the whole population. Jaha had no right to even go to Sky's advisor session nor talk to her as a husband would. They weren't even married for Christ's sake!

That was the beginning. As a result of Thelonious's overzealous honesty, Sky knew more than any other person on the ship, who wasn't in the Council. She was also more present around Jaha and Kane than Marcus would like her to be since he felt strange in her company, but he didn't bother thinking it over. It would bring him no good, he just knew it. And then surprisingly, after a week he had to admit that he'd been wrong about the girl. She was really trustworthy just like Jaha had assured him she was. Marcus didn't like to be wrong, so it really pained him. The fact that she seemed to be genuinely interested in the fate of the human race and wanted to help when not showing any fear herself or the need to tell someone else was remarkable. Maybe she really chose her profession because she felt it to be her true calling. Recently she actually started talking a lot to Marcus and it came as a surprise to him. Why did she keep asking him questions when she could just ask Jaha? Still, her relationship with the Chancellor didn't seem to go anywhere, so maybe she was just avoiding getting closer to him. Was she afraid of saying 'no' to him? Marcus started wondering. He needed to admit that he'd gained a new friend. They shared common interests and even if she seemed to be rather a dreamer than a realistic person, Marcus convinced himself that it was perfect balance. Balance for what? He should wonder, but he'd rather not.

"I just think I should talk to every one of the 100," Sky was trying to convince Thelonious. "I'm serious. They're just kids. They'll be afraid and they'll start panicking and who knows what's down there…"

"Exactly, who knows?" Jaha interrupted her, nearly losing his temper. "Sky, we just don't have the time! We need to send them _now_ and I'm sorry, but a few sessions with them before the launch won't make them feel better."

"Then let me go with them!" she suggested in a last, desperate attempt to find common ground.

"Are you out of your mind?!" Jaha screamed so loudly that everyone in the control looked at him. "Sky, I can't let you do that. I won't send you to your death," he added in a much quieter voice as he placed his hands on her shoulders and leaned towards her to look her straight in the eye. "Do you understand me? This is absolutely out of the question. You mean too much to me."

"What about those kids? Don't you care about them at all?" Sky just asked, Jaha's outburst not affecting her at all. She made a step back to free herself from his grip. "How can you not care about them?" she repeated, surprised by the fact.

"Some of them are murderers and they would have no chance at their retrial anyway," Jaha just answered in a voice that suddenly hardened. It was like he felt offended because Sky didn't care about him as much as he did about her.

"Not all of them. In fact, only a few," she corrected him, still trying to fight. "Most of them got there by mistake. What about the girl whose only crime was that she was born? Her mother already had a child and then you executed her because of it. Why sending that girl away, Thelonious?"

"Ok, that's enough," Marcus said, forcing his voice to be gentle but in the same time authoritative as he came between those two. "I don't think this conversation is going anywhere. Chancellor, please, calm down," he turned to his friend. "Go and give the signal to launch. Sky," Marcus turned to her next, looking into the blue pupils of hers that never ceased to enchant him. "It's not worth it. You won't win and just because he would never incarcerate you, doesn't mean that you can test him this way."

"Marcus…" she started, but he just took her arm and gently pulled her out of the control room. "How can he do this?" she finally finished her question.

"He's the leader and he has to make the tough decisions. People will always hate him for it, but it's necessary. It's not only about the individuals those days, Sky, it's about the survival of our species," Kane explained calmly.

"I know, but still… it sounds so cruel, Marcus. What will become of us as humans if we keep going like this? Is it even worth it? Is our survival worth it all? We'll eventually just lose our humanity."

"Do you think it's easy for him? Don't you think that Jaha…" Marcus stopped for a moment. Sky seemed to bring up a gentler side of his. He couldn't be hard around her like he usually was around other people including his own mother. "Do you think we all sleep well at nights? Every one of us, every one of the Council's members has troubles sleeping because of all the lives we've wasted. Still, we have no choice. Can you understand that?"

Sky's eyes filled up with tears she fought so hard not to show. Marcus could feel her body slightly shaking under his touch and it made him realize that he still hadn't let go of her. He did that now. He discovered that he couldn't stand her being so broken. It was like seeing the most beautiful and gentle thing on earth - or on the ship in that case - breaking, losing its shine. He still couldn't understand how someone so strikingly beautiful on the outside could be as equally beautiful on the inside. It was a very rare thing. Scratch that, Marcus thought, it never happened. He knew all those pretty and snobby girls from Phoenix all too well. He'd dated some when he was younger. Sky was nothing like them, her behavior wasn't an act, it was genuine and it made her one of the kind.

Kane suddenly felt the urge to say something nice to her. He also wanted to put his arms around her, so she would feel better, so she could feel his support, but before he managed to do that, people started shouting inside the control room and then a horde of guards quickly passed by them.

"What happened?" Marcus asked Sinclair once he caught him.

"Somebody forced his way into the dropship and shot the Chancellor!" he got in answer and his face paled immediately.

"Oh my God!" Sky squealed when covering her mouth with her hands and then taking Marcus's hand and squeezing it gently. "Marcus…"

"It's all right," he found himself saying. "It'll all right. He won't die. He can't die. We'll save him," he promised her. "Where is he?!" He asked Sinclair again.

"Transferred to medical. Dr. Griffin's already working on him. There's a chance, but a slight one."

"Sky, hey, look at me!" Marcus had to raise his voice, so she would stop panicking and just breath. Then he cupped her face and locked his eyes with hers. Beauty in the breakdown, came through his mind. Wasn't there a song like that once? "He will be all right," he repeated, silently praying that it wouldn't turn out to be a lie.

"Marcus… no… I mean… It's not like…" Sky started, but then he finally pulled her into his arms and she forgot what she was going to say in the first place. All that mattered was the feeling of his body so close to hers, his beating heart against her own. His smell invaded her senses and she couldn't deny it any longer. It wasn't Thelonious that she wanted.

When Marcus finally let her go, she was still stunned by her discovery, yet he thought her state was caused by the news they'd just heard. "All right?" he asked then in an unsure voice.

She nodded quickly and wiped the tears from her eyes. Next she asked a question that completely and utterly bewildered him, "Marcus, why do you care about him so much?"

"Excuse me?" Marcus frowned, not really following. Maybe she was losing her mind out of grief.

"Why won't you just put yourself first for a change?" she paraphrased. "Why won't you put yourself before the law? Before everything else?"

Both their eyes spoke mountains in that moment, but none of them went any further. None of them said what the other really wanted to hear.

"I-I'll check up on him," Marcus decided in a slightly hoarse voice and forced his legs to move, to walk away from Sky. Was she really letting him know that she felt something for him as well? That it wasn't just one-sided? That it was actually mutual?

He shook his head at that thought. He had a job to do. His friend, the one who was in love with Sky and had had the guts to actually let her know before Marcus had even gotten to know her, was now shot and could die. It wouldn't be right if Kane made a move now. He might be seen as the villain by most of the people on the ship, but he refused to be one. He knew the difference between right and wrong. Also, he knew what had to be done in order to save the humanity even if it cost him a few lives in the process; his own didn't really matter to him anyway. He wasn't an egoist. He would gladly die for his species, but he knew deep down inside that he was the only one in the Council who was willing to do what it took to save them all. Jaha saw it, too, but he was easily manipulated by the rest. He was a believer whereas Marcus was a realist. Still, it didn't make any decision easier. If so, it isolated him from the people more.

* * *

The next few days only brought a devastating feeling of being completely lost to Marcus. He didn't even know what it meant not to feel this way anymore. He didn't know what he should do either. He couldn't just make a huge decision based only on his emotions. If he'd done it in the past, they would've all already been dead by now. When doctor Abigail Griffin exceeded the ration of medicine for one patient, he couldn't just let her go. If he did, others would soon follow into her footsteps when it came to other things. They would steal food or take more rations. They would start running in the ship, wasting the precious air and so on. Marcus just couldn't let it happen. He had to follow the law even if it pained him, therefore Griffin needed to die. Even if she just saved the Chancellor's life, she still needed to pay for her crime, even if sounded paradoxical.

"We always have a choice, Marcus." Kane almost jumped in surprise when he heard Sky's voice.

"You shouldn't be here. You don't want to watch this," he said in a soft voice as he turned to her. Griffin was just about to be floated.

Still, Sky refused to leave. She placed a hand on Marcus's shoulder instead and made him feel uncomfortable by doing so. It wasn't because he didn't want her to touch him, but because he so badly did. Her hand was scorching him in a very pleasant way.

"I see this lost man behind these walls of yours," Sky continued. "I wish you showed him to everyone. He may be lost, but his heart is in the right place."

"I need to ensure our survival, Sky," Marcus's voice suddenly grew harsh and she let go of his shoulder, leaving it strangely cold and bare.

In this very moment, when doctor Griffin was just about to be floated, they heard Jaha's voice, "Stop! Doctor Griffin is pardoned!" He stumbled into the chamber when holding on to his abdomen, the place he'd gotten shot earlier. "Marcus, I know you do what you think must be done, but sometimes we have to learn when not to follow the law," he turned to Kane. The man in question didn't say anything in response and refused to meet Abigail's eyes as she just stood next to him.

"Thelonious, you need to rest," she scolded him. "You're still not out of the woods."

"I'll be fine, Abby, thank you," Thelonious brushed away her concern and then he turned to Sky. "I thought I'd never see you again," he said in a soft voice and placed his hand on her cheek. "I'm sorry about what I said before. I never meant to hurt you."

Marcus felt an unpleasant knot tying in his stomach when watching the scene and he was just about to turn around and walk away when he saw something that both made him hope for the future and hate himself in the same time.

Jaha leaned towards Sky, clearly wanting to kiss her, but just in the last moment she turned her face aside so his lips would land on her cheek instead of her mouth.

"I'm glad you're alive, Thelonious," she said, hugged him briefly when being very careful as not to cause him any physical pain and then she just walk away.

Something told Marcus than the physical pain wasn't be the worst for Jaha at the moment.


	3. Chapter 3

**Part 3**

"_I'm sorry, Thelonious, but… I-I just don't feel the same way. I don't feel for you the way you want me to. Can you respect that?"_ Sky's words kept on echoing in Jaha's head and he couldn't focus on the important Council meeting he was at right now. They had to decide what to do. They had to either sentence over 300 people to their deaths or not while risking jeopardizing the whole population. The 100 were still dying and even though Abby suggested that they might be taking their bracelets off, Jaha had trouble believing that. Griffin just wanted to see her daughter again, so she chose to believe the impossible rather than start dealing with the terrible lost she'd probably suffered.

"We have _no _time," Marcus emphasized when arguing with her. "We can't just do nothing and keep hoping for the best. The 100 haven't contacted us by now and they keep dying. We need more time on the Ark."

"I believe that they are still alive," Doctor Griffin was being stubborn. "They have to be."

"And what kind of a proof do you have?"

Jaha still didn't speak. In fact, he kept on thinking about Sky and he knew now what Marcus had meant earlier when telling him that it wasn't the best time to start a relationship. Thinking about the girl consumed Thelonious completely and he found himself unable to participate in one of the most important discussions about the fate of their very species. He just kept coming back in his thoughts to the day before when Sky had told him that she didn't feel the same way, that she liked him as a friend and they couldn't be anything more.

_"Sky, I want to give you _everything_," Jaha emphasized, clearly not understanding why she would refuse _him_. "You can be Mrs. Chancellor. You can have the respect and admiration of every single person on this ship. You will be known and…"_

_ "It's not _my _everything, Thelonious," she interrupted him with a sad face. "I'm sorry. I really hope you can understand this." After that she just walked away._

"Chancellor!" Kane's sharp voice woke Jaha up from his reverie. "Are you even with us?" Marcus asked angrily when Thelonious finally looked at him. "This is important and we need to reach a decision right now."

"I'm sorry," Jaha apologized. "Present the case."

"This is exactly what we've been doing for the past half an hour," Abigail pointed out. "And I think we should wait."

"Every hour of waiting means that we will need to sacrifice that much more people," Marcus contradicted her immediately. He couldn't even begin to understand how she could be so dense about the case. "I want to save them, too, believe me, Abigail, I do, but there is just no way we can do this. We need to make this hard decision or we'll all going to die very soon."

"All right," Jaha said, agreeing. "Marcus, you have my permission to start reducing the population."

"But Thelonious…" Abby argued right away, clearly mad at him.

"My decision is final, Councilor Griffin," he said in a harsh voice and stood up. "Meeting adjourned."

"Are you all right, Chancellor?" Marcus made his way to Thelonious once everybody else cleared the room.

"Yes. It's just a difficult thing that we need to do."

"Don't lie to me. I know your distraction had nothing to do with the meeting itself. Is it Sky?" Kane asked.

Thelonious just sighed heavily in response and then rubbed the bridge of his nose. "She told me that she doesn't have feelings for me. She wants to be friends," he finally confessed.

"I'm sorry," Marcus said honestly.

"I just don't understand." Thelonious grew frustrated again. "Every single woman on this ship would like to be in her position. Hell! Even those who aren't single anymore!"

"And that is exactly what makes Sky so special. She doesn't care about a title. You can't buy her. She chooses to follow her own morals," Marcus explained.

Jaha just nodded. "She is special, that one. If she ever chooses a man, he'll be one lucky guy. Now, you're right, Marcus. We need to focus on our survival."

* * *

Abigail Griffin once more came dangerously close to being floated as she showed the whole ship a video her husband had made just before he died . Needless to mention, Kane was furious with her because in his opinion she only caused panic on the Ark.

"This will spread like a wildfire and what if we can't contain them all?!" he yelled at her when he finally caught her. "Do you have any idea what you've just done?! You truly want us all to die?!"

Yet, somehow people on the Ark reacted contrary to what Marcus thought and once again, only thanks to the Chancellor, Griffin dodged a bullet. Maybe they should marry each other, Kane thought sarcastically. Jaha was Abby's knight in shining armor every time she broke the law. Only then Marcus quickly stopped thinking about that since people started showing up and actually volunteering to die in order to buy their loved ones more time. It was shocking and terrifying, but in the same time it made the whole process easier for the Council as they didn't have to choose who was going to die.

Marcus was hanging on there, even when he had to persuade the Chancellor not to go to his death as he knew well that Jaha was still needed. His cool demeanor yet worn off when he spotted Sky entering the room. Before the woman managed to get to the table where people were entering their names into the designated tablet, Marcus was by her side, grabbing her arm and yanking her back into the hall.

"What do you think you're doing?" he hissed angrily when they found themselves in a quiet corner. "Sky, I will _not_ watch you die."

Kane's eyes were so intense when he said those words that she found herself being completely mesmerized by them. In fact, all his presence was emanating with some primal male power as he addressed her. He would never let her die and she needed to accept that, end of discussion. If it was any other situation, she would huff in indignation and give him a piece of her mind, telling him how she could decide for herself and he could just quit being the macho since she would never give in. This time was yet different. This time she actually felt appreciated. Marcus cared about her enough to refuse to let her die and it caused her to feel exhilarated.

"I wasn't going to volunteer," she finally said, breaking the pregnant silence and then she actually saw the tension, that had been coiling in his body, finally breaking down. He released the breath he suddenly discovered he'd been holding.

"So what were you doing there?" he asked, forcing himself to be calm once he had her word.

"I was trying to stop someone, but then I realized that I had no right to do so," she confessed sadly.

"Who?" Kane asked, intrigued.

"A woman who's been seeing me for weeks now. She's all alone as she's lost her husband recently and they never had a child. I was trying to help her. I was trying to make her see that even though she's all alone, there's still some beauty in life."

"Sky," Marcus said her name in a soft voice. He was so lost when it came to her. He was trying hard to fight this, to push those feelings away, nearly exorcise them in order not to become the man Jaha was right now. He needed to think of the whole humanity. He didn't have the time for a romance right now. Still, she managed to get to him, to break through his walls every single time. And she was doing it as easily as though they were made of glass and not the usual steel.

"I know, I know," she said to his surprise. "I have no right to convince her to stay. I told her that she might eventually go to earth, but she actually said that she saw all the wonders of life when she was with her husband. She said she didn't need to see the beauty of the ground because she saw the beauty in…" Sky hesitated for a moment and then looked Marcus in the eye, "in love. Isn't _that _beautiful?" she asked him.

"It is," Marcus agreed for the lack of anything better to say.

"And now she decided to sacrifice herself for others, for the younger people as she said, to give them a chance, to give them more time to be as happy as she used to. So I need to let her go."

"I know letting go is hard," Kane admitted when reaching his hand to Sky's face and brushing a stray tear away from her cheek.

"So no, I wasn't going there to die, Marcus. Maybe I should. Maybe I should volunteer. After all, I'm all alone, too, but I-I just can't do it. Does this make me a bad person?" she suddenly asked.

"No. Of course not. You're still young. You deserve more time," he assured her.

"I'm 29. I'm not that young."

"I'm 37. That's even more," he teased her.

"But people need you," she suddenly said. "Without you, the Council would be lost."

He couldn't believe that she actually said that. He couldn't believe she understood it. She positively surprised him once again.

"People need you, too. You're the only advisor this ship has," he told her then.

"Marcus!" they heard Jaha calling him. "We need you here!"

"I'll see you later, Sky," Marcus quickly said his goodbye and left.

Jaha would clearly prefer that Sky came to him when she had a problem, but with everything that had happened between them recently he knew that he needed to give her some time.

"Is she ok?" he just asked and Marcus nodded in response.

* * *

He couldn't believe it. He just… It was impossible. It contradicted science, their simulations, it was… It was a miracle, Marcus realized when standing by the shrine on which there was a small tree. The only tree the colony had. A symbol of their survival, a symbol of hope that one day they would all be able to come back to earth.

The 100 were alive and they were on the ground. Some of them were gone, that was true, but nearly not as many as they'd previously thought. And it wasn't the radiation that killed them. They simply weren't alone, having found survivors on earth and completely antagonizing them merely by their very presence. And all those lives on the Ark, all those sacrifices… were for _nothing_.

The knowledge of that nearly leveled Marcus completely. He felt like he killed all those people. He felt like it was all his fault, like those deaths were suffocating him, trying to take him with them, burdening him. He couldn't take it. He just couldn't. Maybe he should've died with them. Maybe that would've been enough of a peace for him.

For the first time in his life he was truly lost. Everything he knew, everything he believed in, was just turned upside down. Everything changed and he couldn't comprehend it all anymore. He'd been wrong. He'd made a mistake. It only made him human, but still, he couldn't believe that he'd been so sure about something that had actually turned out not to be the truth, not to be the right thing to do at all.

Suddenly, he felt someone else's presence in the chamber and then there was a hand placed on his shoulder from behind. He didn't need to turn around, he knew well who that was. Somehow he could feel it in his already aching heart. Maybe if he could rip it out, it would finally stop hurting.

"Three. Hundred. Twenty. People," he said slowly, pain palpable in his voice. "I've killed them all."

"You did not," Sky said in a calm voice when gently squeezing his shoulder. "You didn't make that decision alone. It was as much Jaha's as it was yours, Marcus. Yours and the whole Council."

"Some of them were against it," he said anyway. "And I pushed. I pushed so hard. And they all caved." His body shook slightly.

"Marcus, you and I both know that there wouldn't be enough dropships for all of us anyway," she spoke again. "At least this way they died peacefully instead of in terror."

"They died in vain." His voice grew bitter.

"No, they didn't. It was their choice. In fact, it was the greatest gift you could give them. Yes, it was," she repeated when he was finally forced himself to look at her, confusion evident on his face. "They chose to die peacefully, so the rest of us could make it to the ground," she continued. "You know what a horrible death it would be for those who stayed behind with no means of ever getting out of here."

"Thank you," was all Marcus managed to say before he finally fell apart. He closed his eyes and winced, trying to stop the tears, but eventually they came anyway and his body shook in crying spasms. He wanted to run away from her, he wanted to hide, but she didn't let him. She just put her arms around him and let him cry on her shoulder while she held him and drew gentle circles on his back.

They didn't know that Marcus's mother was watching them from the door.


	4. Chapter 4

**Part 4**

It was the Remembrance day and almost everyone gathered up in the Great Hall to celebrate. Still, this year no one was truly happy. The faces of the people who came, didn't smile because of what had had happened during the last few days. The Colony found out about the 100 being on the ground and first they were elated that they could make it down there as well, but then they remembered all those people who'd already sacrificed their lives. Needless to say, Marcus and Jaha weren't the most popular men on the Ark right now. People either avoided them or spoke something harsh towards them when not even being afraid of getting arrested. A week ago Marcus would've put them all into confinement, but now… now he just didn't know if it was the right thing to do anymore. Following the law was actually easy on the contrary to this constant struggle to figure out what was right and what was wrong.

"How are you?" Sky saw Thelonious and decided to come over and talk to him.

"I don't know," he answered honestly. "I'm just doing my best to be the kind of a leader these people deserve. I don't have time to think about myself right now. What happened…" his voice trailed off significantly.

"You _are_ an amazing leader," Sky assured him when looking into his dark eyes. "Never forget that. You were chosen for a reason, Thelonious."

Jaha sent her something that resembled a small smile, but then his face grew serious again. "I'm not worried about myself at the moment. I'm actually worried about Marcus. He's taking it a lot harder than any of us."

"I actually tried to talk to him about that. I can only hope now that he'll get better," Sky answered with a sigh. "It really wasn't his fault."

"I had the last word, so…" Jaha started, clearly indicating his own.

"Hey," Sky interrupted him. "You're all forgetting that there wouldn't be enough dropships for every one of us anyway," she added in a much lower voice, so no one would hear them.

Marcus just entered the room and spotted Sky standing very close to Jaha and telling him something, maybe even whispering into his ear. He felt an unpleasant knot tying in his stomach at the sight. Was it possible that Sky changed her mind and decided that she actually had feelings for the Chancellor?

"She loves _you_, you know?" he suddenly heard his mother's voice and he nearly jumped as she startled him.

"What?" Marcus asked, too surprised to utter a smarter word.

"The Chancellor may be in power, but he is not entitled to win that girl over, Marcus," his mother continued.

"Right now I need to fight for our survival, mother, that's all that really matters," he said in a harsh voice.

"Why don't you try fighting for you own for a moment?" she just asked and before he managed to say something to that, she was gone.

Eventually, Kane made his way to the Chancellor and Sky. After all, he needed to stand by Jaha's side once the celebration started.

"You're not my advisor," Jaha was just telling Sky in a playful tone.

"No, I am not, but I do care about you, Thelonious," she replied seriously, "and I hope you know that. I can be a very good friend."

"Marcus, there you are." The Chancellor finally noticed him. "I've been waiting for you. I guess we can start now."

The purpose of the gathering wasn't as much about remembering as it was about what Jaha wanted to say. He decided to tell people the whole truth, including the fact that there was never going to be enough dropships on the Ark. Sky thought that it was a very smart move since it would assure the survivors that those 320 people hadn't died in vain, after all.

Then the horror started.

Somebody planted a bomb and everything went to hell. Chaos ensued.

Marcus suddenly found himself thrown backwards and then he hit the ground hard. A second later somebody landed on top of him, truly knocking the breath out of him. He felt like he was suffocating. He could hear screams as though they were coming from far, far away and he realized that the blast temporarily deafened him.

Yet, he was still alive. He was breathing. He felt pain in his body because of the rather harsh fall he'd suffered from, but he was alive nevertheless. The next thought in his head was about Sky.

"Sky!" he screamed her name in panic, doing his best to set free himself from underneath the body pinning him to the ground. He nearly screamed again as he managed to turn it onto the back and saw a face with eyes opened widely and frozen. The man was dead and Marcus realized that he was extremely lucky to survive. Now, if only that luck could exceed a little bit further…

"SKY!" Kane then roared, doing everything he could not to think too much about what he just saw. Not to think about all the people who just died. _For nothing_ this time. Who could do something like that? Who would risk the safety of the entire Colony?

Marcus didn't have an answer, but he had a reason to go on for now. He had to look.

"SKY! Sky, where are you?!" he kept on screaming, nearly falling into despair. She couldn't be dead. She truly couldn't. He vaguely remembered that she was standing near him and the Chancellor.

"Jaha!" Marcus called his friend, but also received no answer.

Finally, his eyes spotted long, black hair on the ground.

"Sky!" Marcus immediately got to that place and was forced to push another two dead bodies aside. He was so relieved when seeing Sky's eyes opening, her hand going up to touch the bump on her head and her chest raising and falling, indicating her erratic breathing.

"Are you all right?" Marcus asked, placing his hands gently on her shoulders and helping her up into a sitting position. Then his right hand, completely on its own, wandered to her cheek and cupped it. Sky managed to nod in response.

"Mom…" Marcus whispered, now desperate to find another important to him person. He stood up again, looking around. He tried to remember where she'd been before. He needed to get to her, too. He needed to save her as well. "Mom!" He finally spotted her lying on the floor, far too close to the place where the blast had initiated. "Oh, no!" He fell to his knees right next to her and gently propped her head up. She was slowly fading away, he could tell. Still, he couldn't accept this. He might not be the perfect son, he might more often disagree with her than actually agree, but he still loved her dearly. She was his mother, after all. She was the only family he had left.

Abigail Griffin squatted right next to them and assessed the older woman's injuries. The look in her eyes was enough for Marcus to make him realize that there was nothing the doctor could do. Griffin touched his arm to comfort him, but then she let go when spotting Jaha and getting to him to find out if he was all right.

"Marcus…" Sky was suddenly there, right by his side. She was there just when he needed her the most. "I'm so sorry," she whispered when putting her arms around him tightly. His mother's eyes were long closed. She was gone. "So sorry…" Sky repeated as Marcus pulled her into a stronger hug.

"Thelonious, are you even listening to what I'm saying?!" Abby asked in a sharp voice, desperate to gain Jaha's attention while his eyes were fixed on the pair embracing on the ground. "Thelonious!" she repeated harshly.

"Yes, yes, I'm listening," Jaha finally took his eyes away from Marcus and Sky and looked back at Abby.

"Who could've done something like this?" the woman just asked, her voice breaking. "Thelonious… this is… this is…"

"I know, I know," he agreed with her. "We'll find out who did this and then we'll punish this person severely. I promise you."

* * *

Everyone was on the hunt for the person who'd bomb the Great Hall and in result almost sentenced the whole population to death. A few hours after the event, a man came forward, but there was something that didn't exactly add up and even though technically the perpetrator was caught, Jaha and the rest were still discreetly looking for a possible accomplice.

Marcus was tired. He was tired of trying to save everyone. He was tired of carrying that burden on his shoulders. Was it really his job? But on the other hand, who would care if not him? He was strong enough to do this. He had to be. Only he'd just lost his mother. He was grieving and he'd never felt so alone and lost in his entire life. Yet, there was one person that he wanted to see at the moment, one person he truly wanted to talk to.

A few minutes later he found himself by the door leading to her room and then he raised his hand to knock.

She seemed surprised when she opened. After all, he'd never before visited her.

"Hi," he said sheepishly, suddenly losing all the courage he'd worked up so far.

"Hi," she said and smiled to him sadly. "Marcus, I'm so sorry about…"

"Don't worry about it," he interrupted her. "That's not why I'm here."

"It's not?" she wondered and then Marcus understood. When someone lost somebody important on the Ark, he was sure they all went to Sky. After all, she was the advisor.

"May I?" he asked, not really comfortable to have this conversation in the door. "We need to talk."

"Sure, come in." She let him inside and then closed the door behind them.

Her room was small and simple with nothing extravagant and only the necessary items. It didn't come as a surprise, really. One needed to live modestly if they wanted to survive on the Ark.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" she asked when standing right next to him and looking up at his face expectantly.

"I…" he started, once again mesmerized by the clear blue in her eyes. He unconsciously made a step forward, being so close to her now that he could smell the flowery scent of her shampoo. He was truly at lost for words, so he decided that it would be best if he showed her instead.

Sky didn't move an inch when he suddenly leaned towards her and then his lips were touching hers. He feared she would push him away, that he misread her, but she just stood there like she was stunned that he actually kissed her. Then he felt her lips moving under his own, lightening up a fire in his heart, inside his veins; fire which spread so fast that he was soon affected by it whole and he completely forgot where they were and what was at stake. He just pulled her into his arms, their bodies melting into one as their mouths opened and their tongues met.

Sky moaned quietly, losing herself in the kiss, tasting Marcus, playing with his tongue. Her hand wandered up to his face and then moved to cup the back of his skull, gently fisting in his hair. He was truly scorching her. His hand was roaming around her back, his lips caressing her own and then…

The whole Ark seemed to have shaken, forcing them to break apart.

"What was that?" Sky asked, instantaneously being brought back to the ground. They were on the Ark which was slowly crumbling. They were still in danger. Someone had planted a bomb earlier that day, after all.

"I have no idea," Marcus admitted, holding onto her as he was afraid that she might get hurt again. "Come on." He held her hand and they exited her room and ran towards the source of the commotion. What they saw, froze them completely. One of the newest Council members, Diana Sydney, was just taking control of one of the dropships.

"Diana, you can't do this!" Thelonious tried to talk to her. "You're jeopardizing every single life in here! You can't just leave! It'll crumble the Ark completely! We still have so much to repair before we'll be able…"

"Don't listen to this old fool!" Diana interrupted the Chancellor and turned to the people who seemed to be following her. They were with her on the other side, on their way to the dropship, separated from Jaha's group by a glass door. "You think that you'll make it to the ground if you listen to _him_?! He's the one with power in here and that is why we need to take it away from him! Who do you think will actually be on the Jaha dropship? The people he cares about and no one else! The rest of you will die here! Even with the sacrifice, there's still not enough dropships! Did they tell you that?!"

"I'm going home!" one of Jaha's man just said and squeezed into the little space the guards managed to make when trying to pry the door open.

Sky and Marcus made their way to Jaha in that exact moment and suddenly, Sydney grabbed her, yanking her inside and putting a gun to her head.

"One move and she dies," Diana threatened Jaha. "Chancellor, I know you have a soft spot for this girl and I know that she would be the first one to have a seat on your dropship. Now, you either let me and my people go or she dies."

"Diana, let's talk about it," Thelonious started, still trying to negotiate, but Sydney refused to let go of Sky.

"Chancellor," Marcus said in a warning voice, doing his best so his fear wouldn't show. "Maybe it's better we let her go."

"This will crumble the whole Ark. We might not survive this, Marcus. We're still vulnerable after the bombing," the Chancellor argued.

"So you'll just let Sky die?!" Marcus raised his voice, beyond angry now. "You can't win this one! Sydney, just go!" He turned to their oppressor.

It all happened too fast. One of Sydney's guards shot the man who managed to finally open the door all the way and then it closed back immediately.

"NOO!" Marcus roared, trying to get through, pounding his fists against the glass while terror overcame him completely. "Noo!" His and Sky's terrified eyes locked for a brief second before he lost the sight of her. The whole Ark shook as Diana activated the Exodus protocol. She still had one more door to reach until she would find herself on the dropship.

"Marcus!" Jaha screamed and managed to drag Marcus away from the glass door. He did it just in time. The ship shook again and the glass shattered. There was a terrible loud rumble and everything went dark.

* * *

**AN: **Marcus is and always will be my favorite, but the name Thelonious is just beautiful, don't you think?


	5. Chapter 5

**Part 5**

The Ark was completely crippled and Marcus almost died. Eventually, he woke up right next to a small airshaft in a completely abandoned and dark hall. For a moment there he was afraid that he was the only one who survived. Even though it seemed incomprehensible to him, it would make for a bitter irony. He didn't think he even deserved to survive in the first place. The airshaft provided him with just enough of hot and stuffy air, so he wouldn't suffocate. As he came to, he could finally stand up and clear his head. He managed to walk to the end of the corridor and then into another. Through trials and tribulations and with help of some of the men he encountered, they finally reached the control room, seeing there Jaha, Sinclair and a few other familiar faces.

"We barely have enough air to survive tomorrow," The Chancellor informed when looking utterly defeated. "It's over. We're done. The hope lies in the remaining survivors of the 100 now."

"No, there has to be another way!" Marcus raised his voice in anger and hit the table with his fist. "We can't just give up like this!"

"Marcus, there's no other way out of this situation. Sydney killed us all," Jaha said in a strongly calm and detached voice. He seemed to have already accepted his fate, but it didn't mean that Kane had to do that, too.

"What about Sky?" Marcus asked while doing his best to hide his true emotions. The very thought that she might've actually not survived, shot a piercing pain straight through his heart. He wasn't sure he would be able to keep living if he didn't see her again. Only just because she wasn't there with them didn't mean that she was actually dead. He would not lose that last fiber of hope he had. Not now. He owed it to her to at least try to find her.

"You saw what happened," Jaha reminded with a sigh as he wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.

"We saw her being taken a hostage and then… nothing. She might still be out there somewhere," Marcus insisted. "And I am going to find her," he added in a determined voice.

"Actually, sir, I have reasons to believe that they might be other survivors across the Ark," Sinclair joined the conversation. "The computer caught body heat in one other room. They're running out of air as we speak."

"How can I get there?" Marcus just asked when turning to the technician, the decision already made.

"The way is completely cut off," Sinclair notified. "You can only get there through the airshafts, but they're overheated, Councilor. You might not make it. You might suffocate."

"I have to try," Marcus just said, brushing the danger off like he couldn't care less. "Tell me the way," he demanded.

"It's a suicide mission, Marcus," Jaha said when placing his hand on Kane's arm. "You won't make it."

"I've already lost my mother," Kane hissed when yanking his arm from his friend's grip. "I won't lose Sky, too."

"You've already lost her!" Thelonious called after him when Marcus snatched the blueprints from Sinclair's hand and directed himself to the door. He had to try. He _had _to. At least he was doing something, fighting for something. He wasn't going to just give up and wait for death like Jaha did. If he was really going to die, he would go down fighting.

* * *

Sinclair wasn't exaggerating when he said Marcus might suffocate in the heat. Kane was just crawling through the shaft, finding less and less room to fit into when trying to avoid all the hot pipes and the steam which was getting thicker and thicker. The heat was nearly scorching and he was tired. The lack of a sufficient air supply made him dizzy and he had to fight hard as not to lose his consciousness, as not to give up. Not yet. He'd already made it so far. It would be a waste if he stopped now. He was also thirsty. Actually, never before in his life had he felt such a thirst. There were days when the Colony had had to go by without drinking water. Those were bad days, but nothing was as bad as what Marcus was feeling at the moment. The heat caused him to keep losing water through his body pores and it only made the situation worse. He was dehydrated for sure.

Only he believed that Sky was waiting at the end of the path. She was probably scared as she realized she was going to die. He needed to get to her. And if she wasn't there… well, he'd save as many people as he could until he would succumb to death himself.

Finally, he spotted a grid that marked the end of the shaft. It was so hot that he burnt his hand when he tried to touch it and he nearly cried out in pain. Eventually, he managed to push the grid open when protecting his hand with his sleeve. Still, the flesh was burning like it was on fire, but he forced himself not to think about it, not to surrender to the pain.

The door to the chamber Sinclair had told him about was locked, causing the lack of fresh air that would eventually kill the people inside… if it hadn't happened already. Marcus spotted a fuse box on the wall and after giving it a few tries, the door finally slid open. The air that now entered the chamber wasn't all that fresh, but Marcus could only imagine that it must feel amazing for the people cuddled inside.

He was right to get there as he found nearly twenty survivors. Jaha might've given up, but Kane wouldn't let even one more person die. He'd done enough damage so far and no one would ever again lose their life because of him.

People started waking up from their stupors, desperately catching their breaths. Still, Marcus didn't pay any attention to them, he was too busy looking for long, black hair. He was acting like in a frenzy, the previous lack of air still causing him dizziness and now he was just frantically looking for Sky, thinking that he might go mad or simply fall down and pass out. If she wasn't there… no, he couldn't think like that. This one time he needed to listen to his mother. She always told him to have faith, to believe. He needed to do this now. Sky _had _to be there.

He was ready to collapse to the floor. His whole body was shaking, his shirt unpleasantly stuck to his body, sweat ran down the sides of his face, his hand was burning…

Then, finally, when his knees nearly buckled underneath him, he saw her.

She was lying on the ground in the furthest part of the room.

"Sky," he whispered. At first he wanted to scream her name, but he discovered that his throat was too dry for any loud sound to come out of it. Instead, he summoned all the strength he had left and ran towards her, his knees hitting the ground with a loud thud as he reached her. He would have bruises later, but he didn't care. All he cared about was her. She needed to be alive. He couldn't have come too late!

His hands reached out and gently cupped her face, turning her head towards him.

"Sky?" he asked in a hoarse voice.

For a moment nothing happened and all he could hear was the desperate pounding of his own heart. Then, after what seemed like a whole eternity to him, she opened her eyes and looked at him.

"Oh, thank God!" Marcus exhaled a breath of relief as he saw that she was alive. He was never a religious person, but today he seemed to be doing everything he'd never done before. This woman had truly changed his entire self without even trying to.

"I know you'd come for me," Sky said in a barely audible voice. "I knew it'd be you."

"I'll get you out of here," he promised when sitting on the ground and pulling her onto his laps. He felt like he had a fever and the last thing his body wanted was more heat, but he still pulled Sky into his arms and let her rest on his shoulder. He'd almost lost her, after all.

* * *

The door to the command opened and almost twenty people walked inside, followed by Marcus who was carrying Sky in his arms. He truly didn't know where all this strength had come from. Right before he found her he'd been ready to collapse from exhaustion and dehydration, but surprisingly he still managed to carry her all the way back to the command.

Jaha's eyes opened widely in shock as registered what was happening, what Marcus had managed to do. At first it was awe, but then he just felt ashamed. It didn't get any better when he actually get to Marcus, wanting to help him, but Sky was clinging to his friend's body so tightly that no one could take her away from Kane. Finally, Marcus put her in one of the chairs and then squatted right by her side, making sure she was all right.

"Bring some water," Jaha gave the command and soon everybody got some. Thelonious knew they should save it, but what was the point now, really? They were going to die anyway. At least they didn't have to die from thirst.

The liquid was warm as everything seemed to be now on the ship, but it still tasted like the best thing Marcus had ever drunk. Finally, after a few cups of water, his mind cleared enough to be able to focus on something else than the survival of the woman he clearly loved.

"All right?" he asked her one more time.

She sent him a faint smile and then touched his arm, squeezing it gently. "Thank you, Marcus," she said.

He smiled to her and then raised to his feet.

"Are you hurt?" Griffin asked when making her way to him and taking a look at his hand that he held awkwardly in his other one.

"I burnt it," he informed and hissed when she applied some ointment and then bandaged it quickly. "Thanks."

"I wish I could give you something for the pain, but…" her voice trailed off.

"It's quite all right… Now what?" he asked when facing the Chancellor. "Have you found a way out during my absence?" he wanted to know, but he didn't get his hopes up that Jaha had even been trying.

"Actually," Sinclair started instead, "I might have one. We're out of dropships, but technically, the Ark _is _a ship. We could bring it to the ground. Of course we can as well all burn as we try to get to earth, but if we don't try, we'll die here for sure."

"I say we have to try."

* * *

They all divided into four groups, each settling in a different part of the ship. If Sinclair's simulations were correct, the parts they'd chosen were the ones most likely to survive the landing. If someone still believed simulations, Marcus thought, but they didn't have any other choice anyway.

Sky refused to leave his side, so she was situated right next to him now, her hand holding his healthy one. Thelonious didn't say anything when he saw them together and acting so intimately, but they noticed the hurt look on his face just the same. He wasn't with them now as they all needed to part. If some of them managed to get down to earth, they would need a member of the Council to be in charge. People would have to deal with their losses and then they would have to adjust to a completely new way of living. Forcing them to choose a new leader seemed a little too much.

Sinclair initiated the launch, but surprisingly, nothing happened.

"What's wrong?" Sky asked in a shaky voice.

And they found out that someone needed to stay behind. If they waited and reset the system, they would miss their window and land somewhere far, far away from the 100. That was when Marcus made an attempt to get up and Sky stopped him when pressing her hand into his shoulder and asking, "What are you doing?" in a very scared tone.

He looked at her and she could see the horrible truth in his eyes.

"No." She shook her head nearly hysterically, grabbing his other hand, not even being careful about his burn. The bandage felt rough against her skin. "No! You can't!" she cried out in panic, tears welling up in her eyes. "Not now. Not after _everything_."

"Someone needs to stay behind," Marcus just said with a sad smile on his face. Still, he was happy that she survived. He saved her and that was enough for him. She deserved her chance on earth whereas he deserved to die for all he'd done. It was only fitting.

"No! You can't!" she protested again, desperately trying to stop him and in the same time knowing that she wouldn't be able to. He was stronger. If he wanted to go, he would. She already saw in his eyes that he made his decision and would stand by it.

"Salvation comes with a price," he added when gently squeezing her hand and then finally standing up. She still reached out to him, desperate for his touch. She needed to feel his skin against her own as she held on to his hand. She couldn't believe that they'd only shared one kiss quickly interrupted. She needed more. She needed more time. She needed _him_. Without him… she gasped, feeling the pain shooting out from her heart and spreading in every direction. It wasn't the kind of pain she normally felt. It wasn't physical. It wasn't even the kind she'd used to feel when somebody had broken up with her in the past, nor the kind of heartache she'd felt when the boy she'd liked hadn't liked her back. This was the _real heartache._ The kind that had the power to change her forever, to truly kill her. Even if she survived, she would be dead inside. She would forever dream of the taste of Marcus's lips or his touch and the pain would always be there, sharp like a knife stuck in her heart. She just knew it. It might become dull with time, but she would never forget. She felt like she would truly never love like this again.

Then he let go of her hand and walked towards the door. She needed to stifle the cry of pain that wanted to escape her lips. She hugged her knees, closing her eyes shut, forcing the tears back in. Still, they were flowing.

In that very moment the whole Ark shook once again, but this time it was final. The part of the ship they were on detached from the huge construction.

"What…?" Sky raised her head and met Marcus's surprised gaze from across the room.

"Where's Thelonious?!" she asked Sinclair when realization dawned on her. She didn't have proof, but somehow she _knew _it was Thelonious who decided to stay behind, the man who clearly had feelings for her, too, only she could never return them.

"He-he stayed behind," Sinclair replied when looking at his tablet.

Marcus was suddenly back by her side, equally shaken. His hand blindly found hers, but she needed more than just a handshake now. She turned to him and he put his arm around her, pulling her to his chest to which she clung. This time she cried for Thelonious. She could never love him romantically, but she still cared about him. He was her friend. And now she lost him.

Suddenly, Marcus shifted and cupped Sky's face, looking her intensely in the eye. "In case we don't make it…" he started, his voice hoarse, "Sky, I don't want to die without telling you that I love you," he confessed. "I love you," he repeated.

"I love you, too, Marcus," she whispered with a bittersweet smile on her face and then she pressed her lips against his, kissing him.

The part of the ship they were on was falling down into the atmosphere, down towards earth. They might all burn and die soon. Maybe if they did, Sky and Marcus wouldn't even feel it when consumed by their own flames.

* * *

**AN: **I made a video to this story and now you can watch it [in hd!] as it depicts all the events up to this very chapter. It's made in Sony Vegas and I am very proud of it, so please, check it out and enjoy!

* * *

youtube

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watch?v=roQGJJdLxeU

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full link in my profile


	6. Chapter 6

**Part 6**

As violently as it started, it suddenly all stopped. They were no longer falling and the ship finally touched the ground - or more like crashed. People screamed at first, scared that they were about to die, but then they were all just left in deafening silence. The force of the landing broke the kiss Marcus and Sky shared and now they looked at each other with both fear and excitement in their eyes. They weren't dead. Quite the contrary, they were on earth.

When all of that sunk in, the people around them started cheering. They'd made it. After nearly three generations of living in space, they were back on the ground, back to where they belonged. Still, none of them moved as they were truly scared of what was awaiting them outside. They knew it wasn't the end of their troubles since The 100 had informed the Ark of the grounders living on earth and their hostility. The survivors all looked at Marcus now, who was apparently the new Chancellor as Jaha's second in command.

"Come on," Kane said to Sky and raised to his feet, reaching his hand to her. This time it wasn't a goodbye, Sky realized, this time it was a new beginning. She had her whole life ahead of her. Life by Marcus's side. And Marcus was the man she'd given her heart to. Still, her hand shook slightly when she gave it to him. He helped her to her feet and when holding onto her, he led the way to the hatch. They climbed the ladder and finally, they walked out of their prison.

At first they spotted the clear, blue sky above them and it was one of the most beautiful things they'd seen during their whole lives. Then they felt a waft of fresh air and were completely intoxicated by it. It was crisp and clean and it actually had a scent. The scent of living plants which were growing all around and the lake they landed in, its water so fresh and transparent. They no longer had to worry about rations. They no longer had to endure whole days without getting any. They were home and the nature offered them everything they needed in order to survive.

"It's… beautiful," Sky gasped when taking a deep breath and closing her eyes. She discovered that she loved to feel the warm rays of sunshine on her skin. Loved to listen to the sounds of nature, to the birds singing, the water splashing indicating the waterfall nearby.

"It is," Marcus agreed when he looked at her and was truly struck by her own beauty. She met his eyes and they were both perfectly happy in that very moment.

Soon enough, the rest of the people started to emerge from the ship, just as equally mesmerized by what they were seeing and experiencing for the very first time.

Sinclair made his way to Kane and handed him over an earpiece. "It's the Chancellor," he informed.

Marcus took the device, but he couldn't bring himself to put it into his ear and speak to the microphone. What would he say to Jaha anyway? What could he say? Simple thank you didn't seem enough. He owed him his _life_ and his _future_ by the side of the woman he loved. The very same woman he knew Jaha had feelings for, too.

So Marcus gave the earpiece to Sky.

She took it, being a little tentatively with it at first, but then she felt thankful for Marcus's offering. If anyone wanted to talk to Jaha, it was her. They might not be in love, but they were still friends.

"Thelonious?" she asked in a shaky voice.

"Are you all ok?" Jaha wanted to know.

"Yes, yes… we landed just fine, but we have no news from the others."

"The second team didn't make it," The Chancellor informed, "but the third one is out there. You just need to find them."

"We will," Sky promised.

"And you need to find the rest of the 100. You need to take care of them."

Sky nodded, forgetting that he couldn't see her. She had tears in her eyes and once she spoke again, her voice wobbled. "I do love you, Thelonious, I hope you know that," she said and then heard him sigh.

"Not the way I would want you to," he finally said.

"You're my friend," she agreed.

"I know and that is why I stayed behind, so you could be with the man you really want to be with. You need each other, Sky. You need to go on living now. Live for all of us who didn't make it."

"I will," she promised and then he cut off abruptly.

"Jaha, out." There was only static in her earpiece now.

"Thelonious? Thelonious!" Only he wasn't there anymore. "How much time does he have left?" Sky turned to Sinclair.

"It's hard to say. Maybe a few days, maybe a week. I don't know how much damage our launch did to the Ark."

Marcus was there for her and he put his arms around her, pulling her close to his chest. "It'll be all right," he whispered into her ear when kissing her hair affectionately.

"I just feel so sorry for him. I know I would never be able to give him what he wanted from me, but… I would still like to have him in my life."

"I know. I know. Me, too," Marcus agreed and then he gently turned her and pointed his hand at something. It was smoke coming from far away, somewhere in the forest. "You think it may be the third dropship?"

"Either that or the 100's making a campfire," she said. "Let's go."

Their hands once more entwined together and they finally jumped from their ship into the shallow waters of the shore.

* * *

Even though Sky was mourning the loss of Jaha, she couldn't help but feel exhilarated about all the wonders she saw around her as they were making their way through the forest and into a small clearing. They found the third dropship and were enthusiastically welcomed by the next group of survivors. The part of the Ark which came down there was big enough, so they could use it to build shelter. The guards immediately started working on raising a fence, some workers went to the lake to fetch what they could from the wreck and some went to hunt for food.

"Be careful and don't go too far away," Marcus warned them. "They're others out there and they might not be happy to see more of us come down."

They nodded in acquiescence and eventually ventured off into the woods.

When the sun started setting on the horizon, everybody stopped working as they could only stand and stare at yet another beautiful thing they saw, maybe even the most wonderful so far.

"I have an idea," Sky whispered into Marcus's ear and pulled him towards the woods when holding his hand in one of hers and a blanket in the other.

"I'm not sure it's safe out there, Sky," he warned her with care in his voice.

"We're not going far, just trust me. Take your gun if it makes you feel better."

In the end, he yielded, curious about what she was planning.

She was right, they didn't have to go that far, he realized as they exited the woods right next to the waterfall they'd spotted before. It was Marcus's decision to set camp near the clear water supply as fetching it from further away would obviously be a waste of their valuable time and energy.

"Look, it's so amazing," Sky said when staring at the water in the setting sun. "Come!" She pulled on his hand again.

"What are you doing?" Marcus asked. "All right, now seriously, _what_ _are you doing_?" he repeated, nearly choking on his own words when she stopped right next to the shore and kicked off her shoes, then reached to her shirt and took it off, revealing a black bra she was wearing underneath.

"I'm going in," she just said when smiling to him mischievously. "And you're going in with me."

"Oh, am I now?" he asked, quite liking the performance. She just took off her pants and he had a wonderful view on her body only in her underwear. He would very much like her to take those off, too, but his own pants already felt too tight and he wasn't sure she was ready to take the next step with him in this relationship just yet.

"Did you ever read books just for pleasure?" she asked him when turning to him. "Or you were only into the science ones?"

"I read every single book that made it to the Ark," he answered her, frowning since he didn't know why she asked him that particular question. "What's your point?" He just stood there, feeling uncomfortable and he kept on worrying whether she noticed the awkward stiffness in his body.

"Have you ever wondered how it would be to skinny dip?" she asked another question and he felt himself blushing.

"The… what?" he asked, baffled.

That was when she turned her back to him and dropped the remaining parts of her clothing before making a dash into the water. All he saw was her naked backside, but it was enough to send him over the edge. She was ready to take their relationship to the next level, he realized with relief. If she wasn't, she wouldn't have stripped in front of him, would she?

"Oh my God!" he heard her calling from the pool of water under the waterfall. "Marcus, get in here! It's so amazing! This is the best thing I've ever felt in my entire life!"

Marcus decided that he needed to give her an even better experience, otherwise his pride would suffer. Now he seemed to be actually jealous of the cold water enveloping Sky's naked body.

So he took off his clothes as well and jumped after her.

And damn, she was right! There was truly nothing better on earth right now than skinny dipping under a waterfall! After all, you could have sex in space, too, right?

He got to her, trying to actually swim, but it felt kind of awkward. His feet were touching the ground and he would like to lose that hold. Knowing how to swim would be both useful and a pleasurable skill, he decided, so maybe they could learn it together.

For now he got to her and she splashed some water on him when squealing with delight.

"Is that how you want to play it?" Marcus retaliated with the same and eventually caught her, imprisoning her with his arms between the stone wall and his chest. He didn't touch her yet, but the close proximity of her naked body to his own was torturous enough. He wanted nothing more than to kiss her and plunge himself deep inside her. He craved for her more than for anything in his entire life, coming down to the ground included.

The sun was already set and now he was watching Sky in the pale moonlight.

"What are you thinking?" she asked in a thick voice which indicated that she was just as much turned on as he was.

"That you're truly the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," he answered honestly, his voice growing thick. Next, he reached his hands to her face, cupping it, then pulling it gently towards him until their lips touched in a heated kiss. They lost control pretty quickly and before they realized what was happening, Sky put her arms around his neck, wanting him closer. Her legs went up and now were locked around his middle. He held her easily thanks to the water and he couldn't stop himself from taking her now. Her breasts were pressed against his naked chest and he could feel her hard nipples grazing against his skin, driving him completely mad. And then there was the heat coming from her core that was pressed against his abdomen and… She grazed herself against his hard length, causing them both to groan deeply and break the kiss. Marcus's lips and hands descended lower, exploring her delicious body.

"Marcus, now," she whispered into his ear and then reached for his hardness and took it in her hand. "Please, now."

He couldn't deny her. He couldn't deny himself. He finally let go and was lost completely when he found himself inside her.

* * *

"I don't want to go back," Sky said when afterwards she was lying on the shore, naked in Marcus's arms. The blanket she'd taken earlier kept them warm as their clothes were still wet since they decided to wash them after their bath.

"Eventually, we'll have to. They'll start looking for me in the morning and we need to get some sleep," he said, but didn't move. He loved the feel of her warm body next to his. He could hold and love her like this forever.

She stopped looking into the sky and locked her eyes with his.

"Did I tell you why I was named Sky?" she asked.

He shook his head and brushed her cheek with his finger. "Tell me," he encouraged.

"My mother was a romantic and a dreamer," Sky began her story when lying down on her side, her face right next to Marcus's. "She was always dreaming about going down to earth and seeing the sky. She imagined it would be the most beautiful thing she could ever see. Then she gave birth to me and…" Sky stopped for a moment. "She told me that once she saw me, once she looked into my eyes, she decided that _that _was the most beautiful thing she would ever see and she named me Sky."

"That is truly a wonderful story," Marcus admitted, once again mesmerized by her eyes. "And I can understand her completely."

Sky smiled. "I was lucky to keep these eyes, you know," she joked. "I bet you heard that all babies have fair eyes when they're born, but then the color can actually change."

"She must've felt that yours wouldn't," Marcus said.

"Anyway," Sky went on, "she told me to be a dreamer. She told me I should not settle for anything less than the kind of love that I want to have. According to her, it was all right to dream about the love and passion that would consume me. She said that if I was patient enough and if I had faith, I would eventually find it."

Marcus couldn't say anything to that. The truth was that his heart started beating so wildly in his chest that he was afraid she would feel it as she was pressed so closely against him. He couldn't possibly ask her if she'd actually found that love because he didn't know what he would do if she said that she hadn't.

"You know what?" She met his eyes. "She was right." They were looking at each other for a long moment before Marcus finally brought his hand to her cheek and put a stay curl of her hair behind her ear.

"Really?" he finally dared ask and his voice was embarrassingly thick, too full of emotions he'd been hiding locked inside for the most part of his life.

"Really." She nodded, loving the expression she saw on his face. "I never said yes to Thelonious because all I wanted was you, Marcus. I wanted _you_ because I _felt it_ towards you and I still do. I love you with all I have, Marcus Kane."

"I'm not sure I deserve it, but I love you, too, Sky Forbes. I promise I always will… Your mother was right," he added after a few silent seconds in which they just enjoyed being together. "The most beautiful thing I've ever seen is you. I can drown in your eyes."

They started kissing again and quickly got aroused again.

"One more time and then we can go back to the camp," she said when reaching for him and guiding him inside her.

"Deal," he agreed easily.


	7. Chapter 7

**Part 7**

Shot kids, crucified people, most of the 100 imprisoned, a grounder caught… Sky was still trying to process it all, including the wrenching operation on a girl named Raven and now Marcus was telling her that he needed to go out there to negotiate for peace. And he could as well die when trying.

"Marcus, no!" Sky cried out, determined to stop him. "It's just too dangerous! You can't go!"

"This won't be a bunch of kids looking for a fight," Marcus said in a calm voice, trying to put Sky's mind at rest. "This will be a diplomatic mission. I want to negotiate the peace."

"And what if they refuse? What if they kill you? I will not lose you now! Marcus, I just won't!"

"Who will go if not me?" he asked the perfect question. "I am the Chancellor, therefore I am their leader. I am the only one who can actually make this work."

"What if I never see you again?" she asked, looking at him with sad eyes, doing her best to keep the tears inside.

"You will," his voice softened significantly as he closed the distance between them and took her into his arms, causing her to finally break at the physical contact. "You will not lose me. You're right, we've come too far to die now."

"This is real world and we have no control over it, Marcus," she said, burrowing her face into his neck and breathing him in while she still could. She loved and wanted him so much that it actually hurt her to even think about him venturing somewhere out there into the wild with a chance that he might not actually come back to her. She just didn't know how to deal with that.

"Do you think this decision has come lightly to me?" he asked when pulling away and holding her at his arms' length. "Every parent in this camp wants their kid back. They're desperate and soon enough they'll rebel and leave to do it on their own. I cannot let that happen, so I need to bring those kids back myself. They're our future. I also owe it to Griffin to get her daughter. Can you understand that, Sky?"

She just nodded, unable to speak. She did understand it all too well, actually and she couldn't be selfish now. If only it wasn't so hard to let him go. They'd just started their relationship and she was already scared that she was losing him.

"I'll go with you," she then offered. Going with him seemed better than staying behind and waiting. At least this way, even if they both died, they would be together till the end.

"No," Marcus denied sharply when shaking his head. "No," he repeated after a moment. "And it's not because I think you can't handle it, Sky. It's because you're with me. I am truly committed to you till the day I die," he confessed when putting his hand to her face.

"Me, too," she agreed shakily under the power of his gaze.

"And this is why you need to be the Chancellor while I'm gone," he informed her.

"Wait… what? I can't… I don't know what to do… I…" she started, suddenly panicking, but then he interrupted her.

"People trust you because many of them came to talk to you once they found out their children were on earth. You're the perfect choice. They'll listen to you because they know you're compassionate and caring and that you're with me."

"All right," she said when nodding slowly. What she heard actually made sense and she decided to be brave. There was really no other choice and they both knew it. "But you have to come back to me."

"I'll do my best. That's all I can say."

She swallowed her tears again and looked aside for a moment, so he wouldn't see the pain in her expression. "I love you," she finally whispered when meeting his eyes again.

"I love you, too."

She could tell that he was just as emotional as she was, but he hid it well. Then she jumped to him and put her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly, not wanting to ever let go. "Never forget that," she whispered into his ear and finally kissed him hard on the lips. Still, at some point he needed to let go. Then he left the room and she felt like he took her heart with him. Her chest seemed to be empty and aching and she wouldn't be all right unless he came back to her.

She walked out into the open, too, watching him making his way to the fence. He turned back to look at her just then and his mouth moved as he was saying something to her. She actually understood when reading his lips. He said: _May we meet again_.

How had it happened that she'd ended up being with the Chancellor anyway? She suddenly wondered. It always meant responsibilities and here, on earth, it meant even more danger. She was never one to fight for a title or to marry for one as it was proven when she'd rejected Thelonious, but somehow it happened to her anyway. And it didn't feel good at all. If so, it was terrifying.

* * *

Three days had passed by. Three long and arduous days. In fact, Sky thought it'd been weeks. She couldn't do anything productive. She just kept on worrying. Being the Chancellor provided her with the necessary distractions, but she still had too much time on her hands. She even started wondering if she would ever see Marcus again. The grounders hadn't attacked anyone since the day Kane had gone to meet them, but it didn't mean anything. They could as well be busy torturing him for information. At the very thought of that, Sky paled. Then she needed to pull herself back together again. She needed to be strong for Marcus and for herself and for all the people that she was in charge of now. They depended on her and she needed to live up to their expectations.

When it came to the kids which Marcus had brought to camp earlier, they were nothing but trouble. They'd already escaped once in search for Clarke Griffin, which turned out to be completely unnecessary as Clarke actually made her way to Jaha camp all by herself the next day. Sky had truly no idea how to keep the delinquents in place and what to do so they would stop sneaking out. She knew they were more familiar with the woods than she or anyone else who came down with the Ark, but it still wasn't safe. They were hotheaded teenagers and she couldn't trust them completely and just listen to them. They'd done enough damage as it was.

Now Sky was faced with yet another dilemma and she once again wished Marcus had been there with her to tell her what to do. She wished she could've told him right now about Mount Weather. She wished she could've told him that the grounders didn't really have the kids and that there was a strong possibility that he'd made his journey for nothing. The fact that he might've put his life in danger like that terrified her completely and she couldn't even sleep when being worried sick. Still, when she was around other people, she was doing everything she could so that worry wouldn't show. They needed a strong leader and if she showed them her fear, panic would surely spread like wildfire and they would all be doomed.

"They can listen on us," Raven just gave Sky an update on Mount Weather, "and they're blocking our signal. We need to get to the radio tower."

"Can we get there safely?" Sky asked, torn between going and staying. She felt like she needed to take some action against the famous Mountain Men, but still wasn't sure about it. What did she know about being the Chancellor anyway?

"It's not that far away," Clarke assured her. "We know the woods and we can protect you. We need to go now. We can't just let them spy on us, can we?"

Well, maybe the young Griffin had a point, Sky thought. The enemy shouldn't be watching them so closely.

* * *

Marcus was close to actually passing out. It'd been almost three days since he'd been thrown into the pit by the grounders and then miraculously reunited with Thelonious. He still couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that his friend had made it to the ground. Now they had an additional company in the person of a girl named Lexa who was apparently there to oversee that one of them would kill the other. Otherwise, the grounders would launch an attack on everyone who came down from the sky. Both Marcus and Thelonious tried to explain to them that they had nothing to do with the massacre the grounders mentioned, but eventually they just gave up.

"I'm sorry," Marcus finally apologized to Thelonious after a longer moment of silence.

"For what?" Jaha looked at him in surprise.

Kane met his eyes and explained, "For falling in love with Sky."

"We both know it's not something the two of you could control, so you have nothing to apologize for, Marcus," Jaha assured his friend to his astonishment.

"I tried to push these feelings away, you know," Marcus followed, "they were just too strong."

"At least one of us is happy then, and that, Marcus, is yet another reason to why you should go back to the camp. She's waiting for you."

"But we can't keep this up," Kane said when shaking his head. "We can't just keep killing each other and expect that it'll make it all better! It won't! We have to end this war, Thelonious!" After having said that, he raised to his feet, already feeling lightheaded. Days without food or fresh water would do just that to a person. Still, it didn't really matter now anyway. It pained him, but he knew what he had to do. He would never be able to kill his friend, not after everything he'd already done on the Ark. He just refused to have more blood on his hands. But he also couldn't let the grounders kill everyone in his camp either. There was only one way out of this mess and Marcus was truly sorry about it, but he had no other choice. He only hoped Sky could forgive him one day.

* * *

"We can't blow this up if we want to spy on Mount Weather," Clarke voiced her opinion. "It's up to you, Chancellor." She turned to Sky. The blonde had never really liked or trusted the authority back on the Ark and after she'd found out about what her own mother had done to her father, she'd lost hope in the Councilor Griffin as well. She couldn't do anything about this now as her mother was dead, but she hoped that one day she could find it in her heart to forgive her. Sky actually seemed like a very nice and trustworthy person and she made the effort to listen to everyone, even the kids. Clarke had trouble wrapping her mind around the fact that the woman was actually in a relationship with Marcus Kane, but maybe someday she would be able to ask Sky about it. After all, she only knew one side of the man, the side which had been ruthless and merciless back on the ship. Maybe there was more to him, after all. Maybe the hardships they'd all endured in space just before coming down to earth, truly changed some of them.

"All right," Sky said. "We need to rescue the rest of our people from Mount Weather, so the radio tower stays," she made her decision. "Raven, can you hack in undetected?"

"Of course I can!" Raven said like she was actually offended Sky doubted her abilities.

Suddenly, there was a movement in the trees.

"Hands up!" one of the guards shouted and aimed a gun in that direction.

"Don't shoot unless it's somebody hostile!" Sky scolded him and then she gasped when Thelonious Jaha stumbled out of the woods. He was bloody and battered and could barely stand on his feet.

"Thelonious?!" Sky exclaimed with her eyes widely opened in shock. "Oh my God! How are you even here?!" She got to him just when his knees hit the ground and she held his arms, so he wouldn't fall completely. "Water! Quickly!" she commanded and soon, Thelonious gulped the whole bottle he was given. "How did you get here?" she asked breathlessly, still not able to believe her own eyes. She felt her heart swelling at the sight of her friend and realized how much she'd actually missed him but had done her best not to think about him. If she'd had, it would've killed her to imagine him dying all alone in the space and with no one to say his final goodbye to.

"They're coming," he just said to her astonishment.

"What?" She frowned, now both confused and surprised.

"I have a message from the commander… leave… or die," he delivered.

Sky opened her eyes widely and shook her head. No, it couldn't be, she thought. If that was the message, then what happened to…

"Thelonious…" she started very slowly and in a very quiet voice. She wasn't really sure she wanted to know, but she had to. "What… Is…" Somehow the name of her lover couldn't get through her throat. He couldn't be dead. He…

"He was all right the last I saw him," Jaha said to her great relief, "but…" he went on, closing his eyes for a moment from exhaustion, "they told us that one of us had to die in order to pay the debt for the massacre…"

"Oh my God. Finn," Clarke gasped when raising her hand to her mouth.

"We refused to," Jaha went on, "and then Marcus… he tried to kill himself to end the war…"

Once Sky heard that, she suddenly lost her grip on Jaha and turned away from him. Her whole body started to tremble as she raised her own hand to her mouth, as she tried so hard to stop her tears from flowing. She'd been crying way too much since they'd landed on the ground, she realized. And now Marcus made her cry one time too many.

"He was trying so hard to do the right thing," Thelonious said like he tried to make excuses for Kane. He finally raised to his feet and walked wobbly to Sky, putting his arms around her even though she knew he could barely stand or stay awake. "He tried to do it for all of us, Sky," he added. "So we could all live."

"I know," she admitted when nodding repeatedly and biting her lip, her face contorted in pain. "I know, but it doesn't hurt any less. I just… Why did he make me love him if he's so eager to die for us all?" She buried her head in Jaha's chest, crying spasms shaking her body. In that very moment she promised herself that it was the last time she was crying because of Marcus. She would do it no longer. She loved and desired the man more than life itself, but it'd recently gotten so hard. She just wanted to be happy with him, to be free, to be able to enjoy being with him every single day and not having to worry about death. Was it really that much to ask? Especially after all those lonely years on the Ark? During that time she'd nearly given up on finding the right man, on finding the kind of love she'd been dreaming about her whole life. Now she did have it and yet it caused her so much pain.

"Why doesn't it get any easier?" she finally asked Thelonious when pulling away from his arms and looking into the dark eyes of his. "Why once you find the one you want, you still have to fight and suffer?"

"Life is suffering," Jaha just answered. "And there's nothing we can do about it. We can only try our best to make it work."

"Oh God, I'm so sorry, Thelonious," she then said when once taking in his appearance. "You need to rest. When was the last time you ate something?" Sky knew she shouldn't be breaking down like that when Jaha had just endured days of physical trauma. He looked beaten, dehydrated and malnourished. She needed to take care of him and not whine about her own problems. "Let's go to the camp," she suggested when putting an arm around him to support him. In a way, she was glad to having found another distraction. At least she would manage to postpone her thinking of Marcus and his actions. At least she didn't have to worry about him not coming back to her. "Can you make it?" she just asked Thelonious and he nodded in response, too tired to talk, just focused on his steps now.


	8. Chapter 8

**Part 8**

The next day was just as equally difficult for Sky, if not more. Thelonious wanted to run, to just get the hell out of their camp and march towards what he claimed was the City of Light. He was convinced they could all make it there and save their lives this way. Only Sky was skeptical and she actually got into a fight with him. She didn't want to, but it happened. It hurt her that she had to argue with her friend, the man she'd thought she would never even see again. Now he was there and it didn't make things any easier. She discovered that he didn't really have any hard feelings towards her or Marcus, but he was ready to go to a place he'd just heard of and leave Kane behind. Marcus had hurt Sky a lot with his actions recently, but she wouldn't just abandon him. She needed him. She still had no idea how their relationship would look like when… if, she thought with pain piercing her heart, he ever came back. The highlight of the day was that Clarke Griffin managed to find a way to bring the Reapers back and therefore, they were finally able to negotiate for peace with the grounders.

Now Sky was just sitting outside the ship, thinking hard on what to do. They could still run, although they wouldn't get far. It was too late since the grounders had started watching them closely, waiting for them to give up Finn, the one thing they wanted in order to live with them at peace. Sky still wanted to see Marcus again and probably in order to do that and in order to save all their lives, she needed to hand Finn over. Only how could she ever do it? She just now began to understand the magnitude of it all. She just now came around to finally grasping what every member of the Council had had to go through in the space. The decision to float someone had never been taken lightly, but the bigger picture had been more important back then. Their species had had to survive. Still, when it came to love, that logic was disturbed, Sky realized. She would be ready to give up every single one of her people in order to get Marcus back alive and healthy. She knew he felt that, too, she could see it in his eyes when he was about to make yet another grand decision. But in the end he would never actually do what his heart told him to do, Sky thought bitterly, getting mad at him all over again. After all, he'd been willing to kill himself in order to save them all.

Suddenly, there was a commotion near the gate and Sky jumped on hearing the familiar and so dear to her voice. Well, she just wished it, didn't she? Only she didn't know how to act when Marcus was actually coming back to the camp.

She didn't have the control over her legs at the moment. She was angry, but she still wanted to see him so badly. She ran towards the gate and just stood there, watching him making his way to the camp with his hands held up high.

"Don't shoot!" he just repeated, "they let me go as a sign that they trust you to do the right thing!"

Sky knew he needed to pass on the message, but still, it seemed wrong and cruel to do so. The grounders expected Finn in return. They would kill him, actually torture him to death for the massacre that was his doing. Sky knew he needed to be punished. He also needed help, but she wasn't sure this was the right way to go about it. She'd rather lock him up and send him to therapy. There really was no need to kill on earth. There was room for them all to live.

Marcus came close enough to Sky in order for her to notice the awful shape he was in. He barely managed to keep his eyes open and there were huge, dark circles under them. Dehydration, malnutrition and not enough sleep, the same what had happened to Thelonious, Sky thought and her heart clenched painfully at the sight. Then Marcus was right in front of her, a smile forming on his parched lips. He was happy to see her.

"Sky…" he said, clearly wanting to go on, but she stopped him right then and there.

"Show me," she said in a sharp, knife-like voice. Her tone seemed to hurt him as his face twitched and the smile disappeared in an instant. Then he just sighed heavily.

"Not here," he refused.

She told herself to be like stone. She wouldn't cry because of him again. She'd promised that to herself, after all. She would not cry. _Be a stone. The waterfall is crashing into it, but it still stands._

"Fine," she agreed in the same impersonal manner, "then show me in medical." After that, she just turned her back to him and walked straight to the medical unit they had in the wreck of the ship.

She could feel Marcus following her, his eyes set on her back. She could nearly feel his weariness and sadness, too. He was exhausted and now added to that, he was hurt by her cold welcome, but he was the one to hurt her first. If it wasn't for Lexa, the commander of the grounders, Marcus wouldn't even be there right now as Thelonious had relayed the whole story to Sky. As if she didn't have enough problems and on top of them all, the decision to hand Finn over needed to be made soon. Why did life have to be so complicated? Sky almost sighed when she entered the medical. When she and Marcus had made it to the ground, she'd been so relieved. She'd thought that from that time on, there would be nothing serious to worry about. How wrong had she been…

"Jackson," Sky turned to dr. Griffin's apprentice, "take a look at his hand."

Marcus arrived at the medical just as she expected he would and now he was standing in the doorway.

"Chancellor Kane, it's so good to see you," Jackson smiled at him, but then that smile quickly faded away as he noticed the tension in the room. "All right then, show me the wound."

Sky gestured Marcus towards the gurney.

"Come on, show me," she demanded. "Show me exactly how you tried to take your own life," her voice grew bitter and resentful as she said that and Marcus winced. He was left with no other choice but to sit obediently on the gurney and take off his jacket, revealing a cloth tied around his left wrist and soaked with blood.

Sky stood there silently, watching Jackson unwinding the cloth and then looking at the wound. The blood was barely coagulated, the skin around red and dirty. She was doing everything to withhold any emotions, everything to hide them because it was just too painful to watch Jackson clean the wound and then sewing it up. Marcus's jaw clenched from the pain. Then he looked up at Sky.

"Sky, you need to know that I didn't want this," he spoke to her in a hoarse voice. "I wanted to come back to you, but there really was no other choice."

"Well, clearly there was since you're here right now, aren't you?" she retorted when folding her arms across her chest.

"Yes, but I think the commander let us go just because she saw that we weren't acting like animals. I was willing to kill myself, so I wouldn't have to kill anyone else."

"You were willing to do that, so you wouldn't feel bad," Sky said sharply.

"Would you be able to kill Thelonious? What would you do if they told you that only one of us can live? Would you kill him to safe me?" he asked the perfect question and Sky hated that he was right. She wouldn't. She would rather kill himself.

She bit her lower lip because she'd promised to herself that she wouldn't cry.

"I make no excuses for my actions," Marcus went on and then hissed as Jackson finished his work. "Thank you," he turned to him.

"You're welcome. Come see me if there's any infection, but it should be fine." Then he quickly left the room, probably wanting to be anywhere but there with the two of them.

"We need to look at the greater good here," Marcus continued and then he stood up, facing her."

It only made Sky angry again and she decided that she couldn't do this right now. She had bigger problems on her head. Sending a kid to his death wasn't an easy decision, but she'd rather deal with that now than with her own heart. That was why she exited the room, leaving Marcus all alone.

* * *

They tried to save Finn, but eventually he went to the grounders on his own. Now Sky and the rest of the survivors were witnesses to Clarke Griffin actually killing the boy. They knew she was being merciful. The grounders would torture him for days before they would let him die and Clarke just stabbed him, letting him go right away. She risked everything. She even risked her own sanity when doing that, Sky knew it. It wasn't easy to take someone's life. It always took a toll on a person. Sky wasn't sure she could deal with what happened, with what she just saw. She actually lost her balance there for a moment. Watching a kid murder another kid was enough of a disturbing sight for her.

Then Marcus was right behind her, putting his hands on her shoulders and steadying her.

It was just one more thing to deal with. One more thing she wasn't ready for. She didn't even know why she was doing it. Maybe she was afraid that if they were together now, she would soon suffer once more because the next time he would not escape death. The next time he would leave her all alone in grief and pain. That was why she pushed him away and started off into the darkness. If it was ever going to be safe, it was now when the grounders were pleased.

It was long after midnight when Sky finally made her way back to the ship. She knew that what she was doing was all futile. Even if she left Marcus, refused to speak to him again in order to protect her heart, it was already too late. He was already too deep inside her. She couldn't free herself even if she tried to and if so, she would be miserable. It was so much easier to think of this kind of a passionate love when she'd been younger. Things had seemed to be plain and simple back there whereas in real life nothing really was. Sky thought that it wasn't only about unconditional love, it was also about accepting the person's choices even if she didn't like them. She had no right to tell Marcus how to live and what do to just like he couldn't do that to her. She so wished things had been easier. Only nothing that was great came easily.

"What about me?" Sky just asked when she entered her and Marcus's room. He was there, lying on his back with his eyes widely open. She knew he should've been sleeping as he was exhausted after so many days spent in captivity. Yet, he was awake, waiting for her, worrying about her.

"What?" he asked, not really following and immediately sitting up. "What do you mean?"

"What about my greater good?" she rephrased and sat there, right by his side. He didn't put his arms around her. He seemed to be afraid that she would once again push him away and he wouldn't be able to handle it this time. "You're not alone anymore, Marcus," she went on when meeting his dear brown eyes. "You don't get to die a martyr. You have me to live for. You owe me that much after you made me love you!"

"_I _made you love me?" he asked, clearly surprised. "You made me love you," he confessed and finally dared reach his hand to her and cover her cheek.

"We made each other," she agreed and he nodded.

"I'm sorry," he apologized when gently brushing his fingers against her skin. "I never meant to hurt you. There was… There just wasn't any way out of the situation at the time, Sky. I'd rather die myself for everyone, for you, than watch the grounders burn the whole camp to the ground with you in it."

She nodded, biting her lower lip in order to stop the tears that wanted to escape her eyes. She wouldn't cry. She would choose to be happy with what she had right now.

"We don't know what tomorrow brings," she whispered when cupping Marcus's face and taking in the tiredness seen on his face. "We only have right now. We've always had and that's all that we'll ever have."

"Yes," he agreed. "It's all we, humans, have."

"I love you and I'm tired of fighting," she whispered nearly against his lips and then she kissed him, moaning in pleasure as his lips opened for her, as his arms enveloped her body. She straddled him, kissing him and grazing herself against him. She knew he was exhausted and needed rest, but they also needed each other. All they had was right now and they were making the best of it.

They shed their clothes and made love to each other and then, even if their bodies seemed sated, they still needed each other. Sky lay with her head on Marcus's chest, just above his heart. She loved to listen to the sound of it beating, to the sound of life. He put his arms around her and finally, he managed to fall asleep. At this moment, in the middle of nowhere on the planet called Earth and in their temporary camp, he felt like home.

* * *

**AN: **There is a second video: Bang Bang

Youtube

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watch?v=a9026FNXJdI

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Full link in my profile


	9. Chapter 9

**Part 09**

The next few days after Finn's death were even harder on the Sky People. They were forced to set off to the grounders' camp to celebrate the newly attained and very fragile alliance. It was almost destroyed right there and then when someone attempted to poison Lexa. Luckily for them all, Clarke discovered that it was one of the grounders and she saved Raven's life as she was the main suspect because of her close connection to Finn.

"Love is weakness," Clarke said in a numb tone when Sky came over to her to talk. The young girl was so troubled and lost that she needed help.

"No," Sky denied when shaking her head. "Clarke, it is not. Don't listen to the grounders. Most of them are savages. Love is power," she disagreed.

"Oh, really?" the girl snorted when shooting Sky an angry look. "And how much pain have you been through already because of your precious love? That's what I thought," she added on seeing the slight change in older girl's face.

"But it's still worth it all," Sky argued. She really just wanted to help. Clarke was too young to banish all the feelings that made her human. It could only have dangerous repercussions in the future. The girl needed her mother and Abigail Griffin wasn't there to help her, so somebody else had to at least try.

"Let's talk about it again once you lose him," Sky received in answer and then Clarke shot approaching Marcus a look and eventually, she just walked away.

"Don't worry, you won't lose me," Kane assured Sky when standing right next to her, clearly having heard at least a part of the conversation. He put his hand on his girlfriend's shoulder and squeezed gently.

"You don't know that, Marcus, but it's still not the point. Clarke needs help." Sky faced her lover. "And I want to help her."

"Good, because we don't really have anyone better for the job," Marcus said. "Just give her some time. She'll come around. You can't force that help on her, she needs to want it first."

"I hope she will." Sky sighed and then Marcus's warm arms enveloped her. They had their peace, yet once again that day they'd come so close to dying. What if their luck eventually ran out? She was scared to even think about it.

"We did it, Sky. For now it's all that matters. We have our peace," Marcus said like he could read her mind. "And we won't make a mistake. We'll all be just fine."

"You can't know that."

"No, but I believe. Like I said, we didn't come all this way to just die."

"I guess we should figure out what to do with Jaha. We can't keep him in confinement forever," she changed the subject when remembering the former Chancellor.

Kane chuckled with his face buried in Sky's hair. He still had trouble believing that she'd actually thrown Thelonious into confinement.

* * *

Sky couldn't truly believe it once she saw it. She was just coming back from her trip to the waterfall when she walked straight into Jaha and a few people making their way through the woods with backpacks. And then Thelonious explained to her that he was actually leading them to the City of Light he'd heard so much about.

"Thelonious, you don't even know if it's real," she pointed out, wondering if she should be worried that he lost his mind.

"No, but I have faith," the unwavering answer came.

"Did you at least tell Marcus what you're doing?" she asked then, already suspecting the answer. She knew Kane would never give his consent to Jaha. Not when they were preparing to free their people from Mount Weather. Marcus wouldn't just run, not anymore. He was staying and making sure they would save the 100.

"Please, Sky, try to understand. Do you really see yourself living here in the woods forever? You have peace with the grounders now, but it's only because you have a common goal. What will happen once all those people are freed from Mount Weather? Do you really believe you can live peacefully then? I will find that City and I will come back for the rest of you," he promised her in a very confident voice.

"I know I can't stop you," Sky finally said, quickly assessing the situation. They were too many people with Jaha against her alone anyway.

"What if you came with me?" Thelonious dared ask, but his voice already betrayed that he knew she wouldn't.

"We both know that's never going to happen," she confirmed his thoughts.

"Can I at least ask you to keep it a secret long enough, so Marcus wouldn't send his people after us?"

"Only as long as it's necessary," Sky agreed with a sigh. She owed at least that much to Jaha.

"Thank you." He smiled. "That's all I can ask for." He was already turning away from her to start off again when she stopped him.

"Thelonious?"

"Yes?" He turned to look back at her.

"May we meet again. In this life," she added after a moment.

He just nodded, smiled at her sadly and then he and the rest of his followers were gone. She realized she might actually never see him again and it pained her.

* * *

When Sky made her way back to the camp, the grounders and her people were trying to teach each other all they knew about fighting. Marcus and Indra were both supervising the training and, of course, it didn't go as smoothly as they might want it to.

Sky made her way to Kane quickly, circling the place where the grounders were showing off their combat skills to avoid getting accidentally hurt.

"Hi," she said when smiling to Marcus and placing her hand on his arm once she reached him. "Are you doing all right?" she asked.

"Well, we didn't start off very well, but it's gotten better," Marcus answered when wrapping one of his arms around his girlfriend. "And you? Any trouble on your way to the waterfall?"

"None." She shook her head, deciding that it would be better if she told him about Thelonious the next day. Right now there were just too many grounders around them in case Marcus wanted to send someone after his friend and Sky actually thought that Jaha had the right to go wherever he pleased. He wasn't a prisoner in this world and it was big enough for them all. They would have to explore it eventually anyway. She then let go off Marcus with the intention to go to their room to take a nap when she suddenly felt dizzy and lightheaded.

"Sky?" she heard her lover's worried voice like through a bad connection and then his arms were around her again. "Sky?" This time she could feel him getting scared and then - nothing.

* * *

"Sky? Sky? Are you all right? Sky?!" Marcus's urgent voice seemed to bring her back. For a moment there she was disoriented and she didn't know where she was. Then she recognized the ceiling of the room in which they created a medical unit.

"What-what happened?" her was voice was hoarse and Marcus seemed to notice since immediately there was a vessel put to her mouth with water inside. She drunk it all with gratefulness and then repeated in a much clearer voice, "What happened?"

"You fainted," Marcus informed her, his face anxious and worried. "Are you eating enough, Sky? Maybe you're just malnourished…" he started and looked at Jackson in search for some medical diagnosis that would shed light on all that had happened.

"She seems to be eating just fine, Chancellor," the young man put his mind at rest. "I think it's exhaustion or stress. You just need to take it easy, Sky. There's nothing to worry about anymore," he then directed to her.

_Sure, there isn't, _Sky thought sarcastically, but didn't say it out loud. The truth was that their people were still imprisoned in Mount Weather and they'd just sent one of the kids there, Bellamy Blake, to turn off the Mountain Men's defenses. Added to that, Clarke Griffin wasn't in the right state of mind at the moment and there was nothing Sky could do about it since the girl was with Lexa in the grounders' camp. Then Thelonious ventured out into the unknown in hope of finding the so-called City of Light and she might actually never see him again. She might have to go through the pain of losing him _again_. Yes, everything was just peachy!

"I'll be fine. I'll take a better care of myself from now on," Sky promised instead. She didn't need to worry Marcus since he had enough on his plate at the moment.

"Good. But just to be on the safe side, I think you should stay in bed till next morning and rest," Jackson advised.

* * *

"Argh, I'm going to be sick!" Sky exclaimed when wincing and getting up. She quickly grabbed a bucket she spotted and relieved herself.

Once she was done, she sat on the floor and took a deep breath when supporting her elbows on her knees. She really needed to brush her teeth now, she thought with disgust.

"Have you been sick in the morning recently?" She nearly jumped, startled on hearing Jackson's voice coming from the door.

"A little queasy, I guess," she answered with a shrug. "It's nothing. It's probably just some virus… or the fact that I ran myself down completely... What?" she asked, not really getting the look on the doctor's face. "Hey, why are you smiling?!"

"Sky, I think…" he stopped for a moment and then finally continued, "I think you're going to be the very first woman from the Ark who will give birth on the ground."

For a moment Sky just sat there, looking at Jackson and feeling completely flabbergasted.

"Wait… what?" Only as she thought about it some more, she knew he was right. She and Marcus were in a relationship and they slept together pretty regularly. It'd been some time since they'd landed on Earth and they'd had sex the very first night. More than once.

"Can I congratulate you, then?" Jackson asked, not really sure what to say since Sky wore a very ambiguous expression on her face. "Sky?" he prompted when she was staring at the wall for a little bit too long.

Finally, she shook her head and got up from her position on the ground.

"I need to brush my teeth," she said to Jackson's surprise, but he figured that she was just in shock. It would pass and then maybe she would be happy.

"That's good news, Sky," he tried again when she was passing him in the door.

She sent him a small smile. "I know, it's just… with the upcoming war and all… do me a favor and don't tell Marcus yet, all right? I'll do it myself once the time's right."

"Of course, it's your secret to tell," Jackson promised. "I wish we had an ultrasound here," he then added and sighed. "That way you could know for sure."

"I'll know soon enough anyway." Sky shrugged and left the medical. She needed to tell Marcus about Thelonious's departure first. Soon Kane would notice the absence of his friend and start to worry. And then there was a war to win. She wasn't sure of anything right now and she wouldn't tell Marcus about her suspicions. She would wait. It could as well be a virus and Jackson was right, they couldn't know for sure without the ultrasound. First things first. Bellamy needed to report to them and then they had to figure out a plan, she decided.


	10. Chapter 10

**Part 10**

"Hey, you know, you need to take a proper care of yourself," Sky heard Marcus as he took the chair opposite her by the table in their makeshift cafeteria. When she looked at him, she was surprised to see that he brought her food.

"You fainted," he said in explanation. "Back on the Ark we didn't need as much nutrition since we couldn't even run, but here we need our strength to survive, especially in such difficult times."

Sky smiled towards him sadly, her face pale in the light coming from the ship. "Will it ever be over, Marcus?" she asked with a heavy sigh and finally bit into the meat he'd given her. "We came down here fighting and we're still doing that," she pointed out. "Does it ever end?"

"Life is a fight," Kane told her. "At least that's what the grounders say."

"I wouldn't believe their every word," Sky made up her mind. "They aren't civilized even if we try to believe otherwise. Their practices… it makes me sick to even think about them." Yes, a lot of things caused her to feel sick lately and there was only one explanation for that. Still, she wasn't particularly sure if she was happy about that outcome or not. It wasn't that she didn't want to become a mother. Marcus's child was growing inside her and it made her feel so much love towards him and the baby. She was just worried that those weren't the right times to raise one. She wanted to give everything to her daughter or son, but she wasn't sure it was possible. She even found herself hoping for Thelonious's return. Maybe if he found the City of Light, he would be able to take them all there, so they could live in peace.

"Let's take it one thing at a time," Marcus said, waking her up from her reverie, "first you need to take care of yourself."

"So do you," she told him when finishing her piece of meat.

"Sky, I can't lose you. I won't," his voice grew serious and then he reached over the table and took her hand. "You're everything to me. I hope you know that."

"I do and it goes both ways," she assured him when meeting his eyes and smiling to him. Still, it wasn't a smile of happiness, it was forced and he noticed that.

"Then tell me what's wrong," he pleaded.

She remained silent, suddenly avoiding his eyes.

Finally, he said what had been bugging him for quite some time now, "You've been distant these last few days. Is it because of Jaha leaving?"

"No," she gave him the answer he was hoping for. "I mean, I am worried about him, but it's not that."

"You could've gone with him. Did you want to?"

"No, Marcus, I did not." She squeezed his hand gently and looked him in the eye. "My place is with you and we both know it."

"You'd be safer with him."

"You don't know that. He's ventured out into the unknown, based on something he heard, a legend that may not even be true. Who knows what else is out there. Clarke and Lexa ran into a gorilla not so far away from here."

This time Marcus actually smiled and finally took his hand away. "I just… I feel like there's something wrong and I want you to know that I'm here for you. Whatever it is that bothers you, you can tell me. And don't you worry, I'm not planning on becoming a martyr again. I promise."

"Good, because I…" Sky's heart started pounding as she finally worked up the courage to tell him what she was pretty sure of herself. He didn't deserve to be kept in the dark. He didn't deserve to keep worrying about her while he had so many other things to be worried about.

"Chancellor!" Somebody called in that very moment. "We need you!"

Marcus just looked at Sky apologetically and followed Sinclair.

* * *

"I know you're probably worried about Octavia," Raven was just talking to Bellamy over the radio when Marcus stepped inside. "Oh, shit… I'm sorry, Bellamy… Yes, Clarke lied to you, but she'll stop it. You can trust her. She'll warn them all in Ton DC and they'll escape in time, don't worry. Right now you need to focus on what you're about to do. It's important to…"

When Raven finished the radio conversation, she almost jumped when Marcus asked angrily, "What will happen in Ton DC?!"

"Shit," she cursed again and turned around to face him. "Mount Weather is launching a missile there. Bellamy overheard it and Clarke rushed out to warn everyone," she informed, having no other choice.

"And she didn't think that the Chancellor should know about that?!" Kane growled at Raven. "She just made the decision herself?!"

"She'll help them, Chancellor, I'm sure of it. It's Clarke," Raven just said nervously.

"That's not the point!" Marcus screamed and hit the table with his fist. "I'm going after her!"

"She took the last horse…" Raven dared say in a voice so quiet that he barely heard her. "You won't make it in time ."

"Well, I guess I will have to. And I'll deal with Clarke later!" After having said that, Marcus strode out of the control room.

* * *

Marcus didn't even feel his legs anymore and his lungs were burning, but he still refused to lower his pace. He needed to get to Ton DC and personally make sure that everyone was all right. That Sky was all right. How could he be so stupid to let her go to that meeting as his representative in the first place? Only it'd seemed perfectly safe at the time. Their alliance with the grounders held and they stopped attacking each other, therefore the woods were safe. Sky had been so pale recently that he thought she could use some good stroll. Only they'd never anticipated that the danger would come from Mount Weather and it would be airborne.

Finally, he spotted the camp and before he managed to even get to the edge of it, he started screaming, "Sky! SKY!"

There was a terrible moment of anticipation as he waited for her answer. Why were they still there anyway? He thought. Why people were still there? He didn't understand. Had something happened to Clarke? Hadn't she made it here?

Then he spotted her and Lexa sneaking out of the village and into the woods.

"Clarke!" he called after her and she froze, then turned around to look at him. Lexa, on the other hand, didn't pay him any attention and she just disappeared.

In that moment he knew everything. They hadn't warned anyone because they decided it would be better if the missile hit. Marcus didn't have time to think why. Maybe Mount Weather would notice if they evacuated and then Bellamy would be exposed. Maybe they decided the missile would hit any place a large group went to. Marcus didn't care at the moment. He was pissed beyond comprehension at Clarke and she saw that. There was evident fear in her eyes and the Griffin girl didn't scare easily.

"Marcus?!" he heard Sky calling him and he momentarily forgot about the blonde.

"I'll deal with you later!" he roared towards Griffin and then screamed Sky's name again. "Over here! Come here! Take as many as you…"

Suddenly, he heard a strange whooshing sound that could indicate only one thing.

"Sky, hurry up!"

And then it hit.

* * *

When Marcus came to, he was deaf and completely dazed for a moment. As his hearing slowly started returning, he realized he'd been thrown up into the air by the force of the explosion, but fortunately nothing seemed to be broken. He was more or less all right which he couldn't say about the people he heard moaning in pain back in Ton DC.

_Sky_, crossed his mind and he heaved himself up, wincing in pain as he forced his stiff limbs to move. At least everything seemed to be working properly, even if painfully.

"Sky!" he started yelling, his voice getting hoarse from all the dust. "Sky!"

She couldn't be dead. She couldn't be dead. He was thinking as he was frantically looking for her. She just couldn't be dead. And if something happened to her… Clarke Griffin should run and follow Thelonious because only that would keep her safe.

"Sky!" Marcus was on the verge of despair by now. His heart was pounding violently in his rib cage and he actually feared he would go into cardiac arrest. The cries of pain that seemed to be coming from everywhere didn't help at all. None belonged to Sky though.

And then finally, when he was about to give up, just sink to his knees and actually break down, he heard her.

"Marcus…"

"Sky! Where are you?!"

It turned out that she wasn't that far away from him, after all, and luckily for her, far enough from the blast to be more or less ok.

When he finally got to her, his knees gave up and he sank to the ground right next to her. There was a body on her upper chest, crashing her into the ground, so Marcus moved the man who turned out to be one of the grounders.

"I think… I think he saved me…" Sky said when being in shock. "He was my appointed guard and…"

Marcus assessed the man's injuries. Him being by Sky's side had definitely saved her since he had a gaping wound in his back. The warm and soft clothing made of animal fur only helped as he'd pushed Sky to the ground and protected from the worst.

"Thank you. Thank you so much," Marcus murmured under his breath. He didn't know the man. He wasn't sure he'd ever seen him around, but he owed him everything.

"You're saving me again," Sky whispered when Kane brushed the stray hair off her face.

"I'm here, honey," he just told her. "I'm here and everything's going to be all right. You're going to be all right."

"Marcus," she suddenly said in an urgent voice, opening her eyes widely, panic on her face. "Marcus, the baby…"

Kane's heart sunk and his expression faltered. "W-What?" he asked in a harsh voice. "Sky, what are you talking about?"

"I'm pregnant," she finally confessed, tears appearing in her eyes and running down her face. "We're going to have a baby… I was going to tell you…"

He could just stare at her, wide-eyed, mouth agape, shock evident on his face.

"Please, please, tell me it's all right. Please, tell me I'm still pregnant," she begged him then.

If only he'd known, Marcus thought, still in deep shock. If only he'd known, he would've never let her come to Ton DC. He would've never let her out of his sight. His mind was all hazy, too full of emotions to fully comprehend them all at the moment. His hands seemed to be working on their own as he checked if she was bleeding and discovered with great relief that she wasn't. It didn't mean anything, but it wasn't a bad sign either.

She then drifted off, too tired or too dazed to stay awake and he just heaved her up into his arms and started off towards camp Jaha. There were injured people all around, people who needed help, but he needed to get Sky to Jackson right now. He needed to protect her and his unborn child. He wasn't a doctor. It wasn't like he could help the others anyway. Maybe Clarke would. Maybe there was still something good left inside that girl's heart.

Marcus had been exhausted beyond belief even before the blast, but he didn't care. He would carry Sky back to the camp even if it killed him. He barely even felt any fatigue or pain, his mind was still hazy, his body focused on the one task it was given and seeing it till completion. He just found out they were expecting a baby. He heard it right after he'd thought she died. And there was a strong possibility that he heard it after his child's death, too.

* * *

When Marcus emerged from the woods, everyone in the camp was already panicking. They saw the explosion from afar and they were scared of what happened. They got even more terrified once they saw Kane all dirty and bloody, carrying unconscious Sky in his arms.

"Oh my God!" Sinclair got to him first. "What happened?! Give her to me, you can barely stand!"

Marcus handed Sky over to Sinclair gently, grateful for the help.

"Careful. She's…" he hesitated. "She's pregnant."

Sinclair paled and just nodded in acquiescence.

"What happened?!" Raven came running and Marcus could tell that she'd been crying. "Clarke… she promised… she… What about our people?!"

"Clarke didn't warn them. Arrest her as soon as you see her," Kane turned to his guards and they nodded. "Mount Weather launched a missile on Ton DC. Lexa and Griffin made it out. I don't know about the others. I'm sorry."

There was sudden silence when Marcus walked past all of his people and disappeared in the wreck of the Ark.

"Jackson's taking care of her," Sinclair informed when getting to him. "Here, some water. You need it."

"Thank you."

"Jackson also said that you can see her when he's done."

Marcus nodded and then stumbled, nearly collapsing to the ground.

"Chancellor, you're exhausted. You need rest," Sinclair advised when catching him and helping him to a chair.

"What I need is Griffin! It's all her fault!"

"All right, but first you need to drink more and maybe eat something. It's for your own good. We can't have an unconscious leader. Who's going to tell us what to do?"

Kane saw the reason behind Sinclair's words, so he just nodded and decided to go wash up a bit, then he would check up on Sky. He tried hard to push all those thoughts of fatherhood out of his head. This was not the right time for them. For now he needed to stay strong. He needed to have faith. Jaha always had it and now Marcus just wished he could borrow some for himself.

* * *

"She's going to be fine," Jackson informed when finally leaving the medical. Marcus was already pacing impatiently behind the door.

"You're sure?" he asked, didn't dare hope just yet. He was especially afraid of one particular question, but he'd rather know. He took a deep breath and just asked, "What about the baby?"

"She didn't lose it," the so wanted answer came and Marcus released a long held breath. The information came unexpectedly and leveled him completely. He was just about ready to break down, but he held on for a little longer. "The pregnancy may be endangered tough," Jackson continued. "Still, it's good news. The bad news is…"

"What?" Marcus prompted. "Just tell me!"

"We may need medical equipment. Sky's been through some serious physical trauma. She's holding on for now, but she needs rest. There's no way to predict what can happen once she delivers the baby."

"What are you saying?" Marcus got scared all over again.

"I'm saying that we may want to win the war because we need the medical in Mount Weather. I'm sure they have everything to help Sky and the baby."

Marcus just nodded, too tired to think about that now. They still had about eight months till the delivery and he didn't want to brood over any bad scenario at the moment.

"Can I see her?" he asked.

"Of course."

When Marcus entered the medical, Sky was lying on a gurney. Her face was clean, a blanket draped over her body.

"Honey, how are you feeling?" Kane asked when making his way to her and sitting in the chair next to the gurney. Then he gently took her hand in his as in fear that he might hurt her by simply holding her.

"I heard you carried me all the way here," she said when looking into his eyes with disbelief. "Marcus, I-I don't even know what to say. Thank you. Jackson said you might've saved the baby's life."

"I would do anything for you and you know that," Marcus assured her when gently caressing her cheek. "And I… Sky, I'm so sorry…" He couldn't do it anymore. He couldn't act strong anymore. He was there alone with the love of his life, the woman he'd been through so much with. If anyone got to see him breaking, it was her. Tears welled up in his eyes and he lowered his head, sobbing quietly.

Sky squeezed his hand and then pulled him closer to her body.

"None of that was your fault," she assured him when running her hand through his dusty hair.

"I should've paid more attention to the kids," he said.

"Marcus, you're doing the best you can."

"I don't think it's enough. I can't control them… Today you might've died because of Clarke. She refused to warn Ton DC. The blood of all those people is on her hands."

"It's not Clarke," Sky said and Marcus finally raised his head to meet her blue eyes. "It's Lexa's influence. Clarke is so young, Marcus. She thinks she's all grown-up, but she's not. She might've been through a lot and she might know how to win a war, but she doesn't know what's right and wrong anymore. I'll try and help her."

"No, you have to rest now. You can't risk losing our baby… Ah, I wish you told me sooner. I wouldn't have let you go to DC in the first place."

"Then you would've gone instead and there would've been no one to warn you. I would've lost you, Marcus, and I wouldn't have been able to stand that."

He shook his head. "Why is all of this so hard?"

"Life is hard. But we can't think about what if now. We need to move forward and be happy that we're both all right."

"But why didn't you want to tell me sooner?" he prompted. "Why?"

"At first I just wasn't sure I was really pregnant," she explained. "We had no way of checking and once I was positive and wanted to tell you… something always came up."

"Nothing will ever be more important to me than my family, I promise you that, Sky."

"Excuse me, Chancellor?" One of the guards knocked on the door. "We found Griffin. We put her in confinement."

"Good," he just said and turned back to Sky. "It can wait. I can stay here as long as you want me to. I just promised, after all," he assured her.

"No, go. I think I'll take a nap anyway."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." She smiled at him tiredly. "I love you."

"I love you, too." He kissed her gently and then stood up and left the room. Once he found himself behind the door, he hardened again. It was time to talk to Griffin.

* * *

"What the hell was that?!" Kane growled as soon as he entered the confinement and the door closed behind him.

Clarke was sitting on the floor, propped against the wall, her elbows supported on her knees. She looked miserable when she met his eyes and he could tell that she'd been crying.

"Lexa," she just said. "She told me it was the only way to win this war. That she and I were more important and there would always be casualties."

"They're people, Clarke, not cattle!"

"They would've used the missile anyway!" Clarke raised to her feet, defending herself. "If they'd seen us evacuating Ton DC, they would've found another target! We would've died anyway! And Bellamy would've been exposed!"

"Your people were in there!" Marcus growled, not caring about what she was telling him. "And you don't leave your people behind!" He was so furious and so loud that Clarke got scared of him again.

"I'm sorry. I thought I was doing the right thing," she still tried to explain.

"The right thing," Marcus repeated, mocking her. "The right thing?! You could've killed my unborn baby along with the woman I love!... Maybe you can still do that because apparently, Sky's pregnancy may be endangered and we need the medical equipment from Mount Weather!" he then roared.

"What?" Clarke actually paled on hearing that. "Sky is… pregnant?" Her voice was quiet, shocked.

"YES!" Marcus exclaimed again and rubbed his forehead with fury. "Yes, she is!"

"I'm sorry! I didn't know!"

"Of course you didn't! And stop apologizing! It's done and you can't wash your hands from this one! Look at you! You're still a fucking child and you think you can make decisions of such magnitude?! Who made you the Chancellor?!"

At this point Clarke was actually rendered speechless.

"You follow Lexa blindly, forgetting that she's not one of us! _We are_ your people, not her! I know you worked hard on the alliance and I am thankful for that, but let's face the truth! If it hadn't been for you, kids, the alliance would've been made a long time ago and with not a single life lost! Finn slaughtered a whole fucking village and you… oh, yes, you actually had to kill him for it. That's not good leadership. You are a child, not the Chancellor, and I don't care about your experience here before we came along. Back then you had to fight, but now… now it's time to let us, the grown-ups, do the work! A good leader isn't ruthless and trust me, I've been there, so I know. But I've also learnt from my mistakes. It took me over thirty years to do that, but I've done it. And you're barely nineteen! What can _you_ really know?!"

"Are you finished?" Clarke just asked in a blank voice.

"Yes," he said, lowering his tone when all his anger and frustration finally found their outlets. "Will you start listening to me now and quit thinking you know better?" he asked her.

"Kane, I'm sorry," Clarke said to his surprise. "I didn't see before how much you've changed. I was even surprised that Sky…" She bit her tongue before she went any further with this. "I just… I don't know who I am anymore and whom I should be listening to. Lexa seemed to know everything. She told me how to deal with grief."

"You don't deal with grief by shutting your feelings off," Marcus told her. "You feel the lost. You learn to live with it. You learn from it. You know, my mother died, too. And I was so… unpleasant to her before her death… The last words I ever said to her…" He closed his eyes and shook his head, refusing to face that particular memory at the moment. "Let us help you. Us. Not the grounders," he offered Clarke.

"I-I'll think about it, I promise," Clarke said. "And I-I'm really sorry."

Marcus didn't say anything to that, he just left.


	11. Chapter 11

**Part 11**

Whether Marcus wanted it or not, he was forced to release Clarke from confinement. The pact they had with the Grounders was still very fragile, maybe it would always be, and Clarke seemed to be the one link tying them all together. Somehow Lexa's people trusted the blonde and they couldn't know the truth about the missile. Kane understood it, he really did when putting all his personal issues with the Griffin girl aside. That was just the hard part of being the leader and having to do what was best for the greater good. He couldn't afford another conflict with the Grounders, therefore he couldn't afford them knowing what Lexa and Clarke had done. Also, as much as he wanted to wait for Bellamy to turn off the acid fog and march to attack Mouth Weather himself, he decided against going. He promised Sky that he would be careful and now that she was pregnant with his child, he truly didn't want to risk his life anymore. He would hate for his son or daughter to be raised in such harsh conditions without a father. Still, he realized that he would stay just the same if Sky wasn't pregnant. He wouldn't be able to leave her once again in fear that he might not come back. His life had used to be so complicated with all the hatred he'd suffered from people and the hard decisions he'd needed to make on the Ark, but now it seemed even more so. How were they supposed to keep a small, defenseless child safe? He could only hope that once it was born, the war would long be over.

Having checked in with Raven and Wick and finally confident that no one was hiding anything else from him, Marcus walked straight to his and Sky's place. After a night in medical she'd been allowed to leave, but she still needed to take it easy since they couldn't examine her properly. The most important thing right now was that she was still pregnant and Marcus would make sure it stayed that way.

The moment he opened the door to their small room, he heard steps behind him and noticed Clarke when he turned around.

"Shouldn't you be with Lexa?" he asked her in a harsh voice. "You have a war to go to, after all."

"Chancellor, again I am very sorry for what happened. I just wanted to talk to Sky before I go. I need to apologize to her in person." Clarke seemed down, defeated and completely lost. She didn't know what to believe in and what to do anymore. Somehow, something about her expression reminded Marcus of himself from not such a long time ago. Still, he wasn't sure he was ready to forgive and forget just yet. The woman he loved more than anything could've died in that explosion. One couldn't just get over such things.

"It's all right, Marcus," he heard Sky's voice from the inside of the room. "You can let her in. I want to talk to her."

Kane, albeit reluctantly, opened the door wider, so Clarke might walk inside. Then he decided the he wasn't going to leave Sky alone with Griffin just yet and walked in as well, closing the door behind them and folding his arms on his chest.

"Sky, I…" Clarke started when looking at the pale woman lying in bed. "I'm-I'm so sorry," Griffin's voice broke and it was clear that she was fighting tears. "I know I've made a mistake. I shouldn't have listened to Lexa. I should've known better. You were right, I guess. Love isn't weakness, it's strength."

Marcus's expression softened as he thought that one day he might have a daughter, a daughter just like Clarke. And she might make mistakes, too. No, she wouldn't, he decided right then and there. She wouldn't because he and Sky would be there for her. They would raise her right and prevent what they were seeing right now. Kids needed guidance. Maybe sending the 100 to earth in the first place wasn't such a good idea, after all. Maybe they should've sent adults. Maybe Marcus himself should've gone along with that mission. Still, it was too late now. All they could do was to move on and learn from their mistakes.

"Clarke, it's ok," Sky finally said and gestured for the girl to come closer. "I understand that you're lost, I do. And although I can't begin to understand how it is to lose someone you loved, how…" Sky stopped right there as she didn't want to say it aloud. Clarke had loved Finn and she'd been forced to take his life in order to spare him pain and agony. Suddenly, Sky imagined herself having to do the same thing to Marcus. She wouldn't survive that. She would die as well. It was no wonder that Clarke had broken down and made a few poor decisions. Now she had to live with the consequences and that was even worse. It made Sky sick that kids, because yes, the 100 were still kids even if they were forced to grow up fast, had had to go through it all. "But I know how it is to be scared out of your mind that the man you love might be dead," Sky started off again, looking at Marcus who was still standing near the door. Their eyes met for a brief moment and Sky's heart ached. She was so lucky that she survived. That the baby survived. And she was also lucky that Marcus was there, alive and well and she could just reach out and touch him. She couldn't even imagine him not being with her, especially when there was no one else who could give her the much needed support. Thelonious was gone and who knew what was happening to him, whether he was even still alive.

"I just wanted to apologize and I want you to know that I will get to Mount Weather. We will win this war and I will get you that ultrasound and all the medical you need," Clarke promised, her voice hardening, determined.

"Thank you, Clarke," was all Sky could say. "Just… take care of yourself for me, ok? Don't rush out there to die. We need you alive. Your mother would've wanted you to go on and make a life for yourself. You can still do that despite all that you've done, trust me. Marcus has."

Clarke turned around to look at Kane, although she did it sheepishly as she was still afraid that he might lash out at her again. Then she realized that Sky was actually right.

"I'm no better, Clarke, really," Kane agreed to her astonishment. "And if it hadn't been for the fact that Sky was there and pregnant…" he stopped, closed his eyes and shook his head, then looked at the girl again, "then I guess I wouldn't have lost control like I did with you. I should have understood. After all, you were only doing what you were taught to do on the Ark."

"No, Chancellor, I should've known better," Clarke disagreed, refusing to accept what he tried to tell her. "And I can't change what I did, but I can make better decisions from now on. I promise I will do anything in my power to try."

"I believe in you, Clarke, and If you ever want to talk, that's what I'm here for," Sky offered her help.

"Thank you." Clarke nodded, her voice growing thick. "Lexa's waiting for me. I need to go, but I promise to keep you updated."

"Be careful," Sky repeated once again when Clarke turned to leave and was soon gone.

"I'm proud of you," Sky told Kane when he made his way to the bed and sat on the edge of it.

"Why?" he wondered.

"What you said to her… I know it was hard for you."

"Yeah," he admitted with a nod of his head. "You know, the truth is that ever since I found you there injured…" his voice trailed off for a moment, the memories of that day still haunting him, "I know now what you felt while I went away to negotiate with the grounders. When I… cut myself," he admitted when avoiding her eyes. "If I'd died, our child wouldn't have a father now."

"But you didn't. You came back to me," Sky said urgently and cupped his face, forcing him to look at her as she raised to a sitting position. "And you're here now. We're safe for now. That's all I could ever ask for."

"I'm sorry. I know I apologized to you before, but now… I just see everything from a completely different perspective and I'm scared out of my mind for our family. I don't even know if I can be a good father, Sky," he confessed, finally looking into her blues.

"I am confident that you will be. All the best fathers never had a good childhood," she said.

"That doesn't make any sense," Marcus frowned.

"It does. You know what kind of a childhood you had when losing your father so fast, when never really getting the chance to get to know him. And now you're worried that your kid will have to go through something similar. Well, let me tell you that he or she won't have to because you're already doing what a good father would. You're here, with me."

"Well, it's because of that and the fact that I'm still sore all over after I carried you back to the camp," Marcus pointed out, trying to lighten up the mood and succeeding as Sky laughed merrily.

"Oh, really? How sore?" she asked when capturing his mouth with hers and kissing him softly. "So sore that you can't do absolutely anything?"

"Well, I guess I can do something," he admitted. "But will it be all right with the baby?"

"Marcus, I'm not sick and I didn't lose it. I feel fine. I don't think we can do any real damage."

"Well, if you're sure…"

* * *

When Sky woke up the next morning, Marcus was sitting on the edge of their bed, a tray full of food placed nearby.

"Mmmhhh… breakfast in bed, how romantic," she cooed when smiling to him. "Did you bring me something special?" she asked.

"Well, there wasn't much I could do with the limited choices we have, but… I managed to salvage some delicious fruit for you and I even make you herbal tea."

"Are you absolutely sure that you didn't make it when brewing something poisonous?" Sky teased him, laughing at the expression that appeared on his face.

"The Grounders told us everything we need to know about the plants and I don't think they're planning on killing us since they need us in order to get to Mount Weather," Kane explained.

"I was just teasing you, baby. You look so cute when you're angry." Sky couldn't stop with the jokes and now she laughed even harder at the insulted expression she saw again.

"I'm not sure I like the giddy you in the morning. Maybe I should stop making you so happy," he pretended to threaten her and then he brought his face to hers and kissed her softly and with affection.

"That's more like it. Good morning," she said when they parted. "And now I would really like some of this tea."

"Coming right up!"

"So, do you have any news? Have they reached Mount Weather yet?" Sky asked when she drunk her tea and now started to eat, sharing her food with Marcus when feeding him with her hand. He smiled at her. Romantic moments came by so hard those days for them that once they had one, they enjoyed it as long as they could. For now Marcus wasn't needed anywhere as Clarke had everything under control. He still had doubts whether he should trust her, but when it came to the offence directed towards Mount Weather, he knew that her head and heart was in the right place.

"Raven and Wick just left. They built bombs to blow up the turbines that provide power for the bunker. Once they succeed, our team will have exactly one minute to open the door to Mount Weather, but it's all we really need," he informed.

"Let's hope everything goes smoothly, then. We cannot afford to lose any more lives."

"You're still worried about him, don't you?" Marcus asked, feeling their moment fleeting as Sky's expression grew somber.

"You mean Thelonious? Of course I am. I try not to, but…" she released a sigh. "When not counting you and the baby, he's the closest person I have to a family. I just wish I knew where he is and whether he's still alive."

"I think he's ok," Marcus said. "He hasn't survived so long just to die now."

"Careful there because I may actually start to think that you've turning into him, into a man of faith rather than science," she teased again.

"Oh, no," Marcus shook his head when smiling fondly at her. "I will never be exactly like Thelonious. Sometimes his faith is just…"

"Crazy?" Sky finished what she knew Marcus wanted to say, but eventually refused to.

"Well, yes..." he admitted carefully. "But if it helps him not to give up, then it's all right with me. You know, when I was taken by the Grounders and thrown into the pit with Jaha, he was the one to give me something to believe in again. I thought that everything we'd done was for nothing. That we'd come to earth and survived the journey just to die, just to be killed by the Grounders. I thought we had no right to invade their lands when we'd already left them there to die once," Marcus told her and she just listened to him intently, scooting over to him and resting her head on his shoulder. "And then Jaha said that we'd survived for a reason. That we couldn't just find our way back to the ground to die here so soon. We came here to live."

"I should thank him." Sky thought about it some more and then added, "To be honest, I'm not sure I even thanked him for saving your life in the first place. I was just so shocked on seeing him and I was so worried about you…"

"Hey, we're all right now. We'll be just fine, I promise," Marcus said, meeting her eyes and then kissing her again. "After all, we've come so far, so maybe Thelonious was right."

Sky chuckled. "I wish he could be here right now to hear you say it. The look on his face would be just priceless."

"Making fun of me again?" Marcus pretended to be offended. "Yes, I should definitely stop kissing you altogether," he decided.

"Hey!" She swatted him lightly on the chest. "Not funny! I'm carrying your child and I deserve some extra affection from you just for that! And don't even get me started on giving birth because I'm already scared out of my mind when I think of it!"

"Hey, you can't stress yourself so much," Marcus pointed out, his voice carrying a hint of worry. He shifted his position, so he was now facing her and he gently took her chin between his thumb and index finger, so she would look up at him. "First we need to make sure the baby survives. You cannot stress yourself, ok? Remember what Jackson said. And you have me to lean on if you need to. I'm not going anywhere. We'll get through this together, I promise."

Sky just nodded, fighting tears. Sometimes, especially in moments like this one, she was being overwhelmed by her love for Marcus. She remembered when she'd first met him and liked him instantly, but he'd seemed to be so lost back there, so troubled. Now he was a confident and strong leader and a wonderful boyfriend and a lover to her. He'd changed for the better, he'd grown so much.

"Your mother would be so proud of you if she could see you right now," Sky told him when cupping his face and looking him deeply in the eye. She knew it was the greatest compliment she could muster and she was met with a grateful, loving and a little bit nostalgic gaze.

"Thank you," he just said, his voice growing hoarse.

* * *

"Still nothing?" Sky asked when Marcus came back to her that day in the afternoon.

"I'm starting to worry. Why is it taking so long?" he voiced his concerns as he was pacing around the room. "There's something wrong… Sky…? Sky?" He turned around as he didn't receive any answer from her and he froze, his eyes opening widely in horror as he took in one of the Grounders standing there and holding his Sky, his hand covering her mouth. She was terrified and Marcus felt helpless again. It was a feeling that he despised the most. His job was to protect her and now she was in danger again. Added to that, not only her life was threatened, but also their unborn child's.

"What are you doing?" Marcus asked the Grounder. "What is all of this?" He didn't get his answer, neither did he get to save or warn anyone because somebody knocked him down when hitting him on the head from behind.

Then there was only darkness.


	12. Chapter 12

**Part 12**

Once Marcus regained his consciousness, all he saw was darkness. His pulse raised as he remembered what had happened and he found himself struck with fear. Where was Sky? Was she all right? What about their baby? He couldn't care less about himself at the moment, he just needed to safe her, to make sure that she was still breathing, to make sure that she would be all right. He struggled against the rope that was binding his hands and almost groaned in frustration. He could feel some fabric on his face, so he could easily deduct that the Grounder who'd taken him put a sack over his head. Why would they do that? Where were they taking them? Didn't they have a peace treaty? The uncomfortable position in which Marcus found himself let him believe that he'd been thrown onto a horse and they were traveling somewhere. To where? Another question appeared in his mind and he truly felt like his head would burst from all the worrying. His heart ached as he had no way of knowing if Sky was all right and his stomach clenched in terror. He was even more afraid at the moment than he'd been when the missile had struck Ton DC. Back then he'd been dazed, shocked by what had happened and all those feelings had been trying to reach him like through an invisible barrier, affecting him, but still not enough for him to go mad. Now he was close that madness. He was supposed to protect his family and he couldn't and it was killing him.

Eventually, as he was sure he wouldn't figure anything out on his own, he decided to speak, "What are you doing to us?!" he screamed. "Where are you taking us?!"

"Marcus?!" he immediately heard Sky's voice. She sounded scared, maybe even more than just scared and it only raised his own fear, his heart pounding in his chest so violently that he was afraid he'd pass out again. "Marcus, are you all right?!" she asked him.

"Yes, I'm fine! What happened?! Are you…"

"Shut up!" he was immediately hushed by someone he could only assume was one of the Grounders.

"Why are you doing this to us?!" Marcus wasn't giving up and he tried to struggle against the binds. Surprisingly, he felt a pair of hands on his waist and then he found himself being pushed to the ground with no delicacy at all. "Get up!" the voice ordered. "And don't you dare talk if you want her to live!"

That shut Marcus up completely. He would do anything just to keep Sky safe, but in the same time he wasn't sure if it was enough. They wouldn't just let her go, he realized. Even though the Sky People had made peace with the Grounders, they still thought of them as savages.

"Here you go, the rest of them," he heard the guy talking to someone.

"Perfect. We'll take them from here. You can go home and be sure that we will never attack you again," someone answered and Marcus frowned. What did all of that mean? Who were those people? Did the Grounders stike a deal with some… And then it hit him like a ton of bricks falling down on his head. There was only one kind of people in this world that the Grounders feared and they were the exact reason to why they agreed to an alliance with the Sky People in the first place - the Mountain Men. Had Clarke failed? Marcus wondered in panic, trying to figure out a way of the situation, but he couldn't. He just couldn't. What happened to the battle? Had there be any? If Lexa had given all the Sky People up in exchange for peace, it only meant that the Mountain Men would harvest the bone marrow from them, from every single person. Marcus swallowed hard, feeling cold sweat breaking all over his skin. Was that how they would meet their end? They'd survived for so long and been through so much just to be used and disposed of when their bodies would no longer hold any bone marrow? He felt sick. He felt weak. And this time he truly couldn't get himself, the woman he loved and his people out of this. They were on their own. They were going to their deaths, he realized once he was pushed towards something and found himself in the confine of some room which he could recognize by the difference in air and temperature. He must've been in Mouth Weather.

* * *

They marched into yet another room and Marcus lost count of how many doors they'd already passed through. Then he found himself being pushed to his knees. Just then the sack was taken from his head and he watched with horror-struck eyes what was happening inside. There were people, his people, handcuffed to the brick walls all around and in the middle of the room there was an operation table with a body just going slack. He recognized the girl. She was one of the 100. And now she was lying there, all broken flesh and no soul, eyes empty, her bone marrow gone. Was this going to happen to them? How could he just stand by and watch the Mountain Men drilling in the body of the woman he loved, into his… child? That thought was so nauseating to him that he was close to gagging. If only he had something in his stomach he was sure he would throw up.

Sky was on her knees right next to him and once the sack was removed from her head, too, he locked his eyes with hers. She was terrified, dry tears all over her face and new ones coming. He could see her whole body shaking in fear, in dreadful anticipation of what was going to happen to them.

"Sky," he said her name, doing everything in his entire willpower to sound reassuring, soft, to give her support instead of showing her more fear. It took all he had, but he did it. He needed to give her just that. He needed to give her hope even if it was all futile. He would do anything for her, so she would hang on there. "Sky, look at me. Just breath, ok?" he asked her. "Breath with me. Think about the baby. You need to calm down. We will get out of this."

"H-how?" she squealed, her voice horse and barely audible.

"I don't know yet, but we will. You need to have faith. Just for once think of how much faith Thelonious has. You do the same. Do it for me, all right?"

"Hey! Quit that!" One of the guards raised his gun and struck Marcus hard. The pain blinded him for a moment. "Just shut up!"

"What is wrong with you, people?" Marcus asked, holding the man's gaze in feeble hope that maybe, just maybe he would get some compassion. He didn't, of course. The man would do anything to survive, even if it meant cutting them all open and leave them to death in order to achieve it.

Soon, the guards pulled them all to the walls and handcuffed them there.

"Come on! There has to be another way out of this!" Marcus screamed in desperation as he helplessly watched the same happening to Sky. She was now handcuffed, her hands bound above her head, her position mirroring Marcus's. "We can donate! You need bone marrow, but no one has to die! We can donate it!" he tried one more time.

"That's never going to happen," he then heard a new voice and when turning his head in the direction of the door, he spotted a man in a suit. He must be the one in charge, he deduced.

Cage came over to them and looked at Kane carefully, then he shifted his eyes to Sky.

"Take her," he gave a command and the guards immediately got to her, undoing the cuffs.

"No!" Marcus screamed and then, when it actually occurred to him what he would be forced to watch, he couldn't take it anymore. "NOOO! Take me! Take me instead!" he roared, struggling against the handcuffs even though it didn't help at all. If so, it only cut the skin on his wrists. "Please! I'm begging you! Take me instead!"

"No, Marcus! Don't!" Sky yelled, looking at him with eyes filled both with love and fear. "Don't," she just whispered, shaking her head and going completely slack like she gave up fight altogether.

"Ah, love," Cage sighed theatrically. "Such an elusive and easily damaged creature. Just so you know, Clarke killed my father," he hissed at Marcus when actually showing pain in his eyes which had been like cold steel a moment ago. "And she seemed to care about this one here," he pointed Sky, "so that is why the woman you love is going to die and you all will watch it happen. Say thanks to Clarke."

"But she's pregnant!" Marcus played his last card. "She is pregnant!" he repeated, looking at Sky and pretending that he didn't see her shaking her head at him. The last thing she wanted was to watch Marcus die. If they let her live just because she was pregnant - although she doubted it - what kind of a life that would be? Alone? When all her people were dead and she was be the last one standing? She'd rather die, even if that made her a terrible person for sentencing her child to death as well. She'd rather lose it than see it growing up among the monsters from Mount Weather.

"Pregnant, hah?" The suited man's interest was suddenly piqued and he eyed Sky's belly. "Not far along, I assume."

"No, Marcus, no," Sky kept repeating and shaking her head frantically at her lover. "No, please."

"All right," Cage agreed, shocking both Marcus and Sky. For a moment they looked at him, actually surprised. "Let's see…" he followed quickly, an evil twinkle appearing in his eyes, again raising the fear in Marcus. "This is the very first baby the Sky People will have on Earth, isn't it? I say that we let the mommy watch the daddy die and then, when the baby comes, I want you to know…" he made a step towards Marcus, so what he was going to say would sink in, "that once the baby comes, we will extract fresh bone marrow from it and then we will do the same to the mother. And that will be my revenge for my father."

"NOOOO!" Marcus roared, being tortured by the images bombarding his mind. He couldn't stand this. His heart couldn't stand this. The grief and terror blinded him completely and he tried to get to Cage, but the man just made a step back with an evil smile on his face. "NOOO! Please! How can you just do something like this?!" Marcus screamed.

"I'm just trying to survive here!" Cage raised his hands in indication. "Take him," he gave the command to his guards and this time it was Sky who started struggling, trying to break free, to safe Marcus even though they were in a locked room full of guards. Even though it was all futile. But she was still fighting. She wanted to make sure she would go down fighting and wouldn't give those monsters the satisfaction of giving up.

"Marcus! No! Marcus!" she was screaming like she was the one they were about to kill. She was forced to watch the man she loved more than anything, more than the whole planet, more than life itself, being strapped to the operation table. Then she was backhanded by a guard, her jaw exploding in pain, her yelling ceasing. All Sky could do now was to look into Marcus's eyes while they were still alive, while he still looked back at her with a mixture of love and fear. He was trying to tell her that he was sorry, too, but she knew it wasn't his fault.

She truly didn't know fear until this moment. This seemed to be worse than anything she'd ever been through and she would gladly take Marcus's place, only he'd already done that for her. He wanted to buy her some time, he wanted to sacrifice his life - again - but this time it was so she and the baby could live. It all backfired and she truly couldn't take it anymore. If he was gone, she was sure that no matter what the Mountain Man did, she would eventually lose the baby because she would give up on everything. Life without Marcus wouldn't be a life for her. In this moment Sky thought of her mother and how she'd always been a dreamer, how she'd always been telling her daughter not to settle for anything less than what her heart truly desired. She'd used to tell her that it would be all worth it in the end and even if it wouldn't be, she would've still lived through something amazing, that the memories in her head would be enough. Only Sky knew now from experience that they wouldn't be. She would never regret the time she'd spent with Marcus and the love they shared, but once one of them was gone, she knew she wouldn't be able to just go on. And that was all right, too. Maybe they didn't deserve more. Maybe happiness was brief, even less so than a human life in comparison to all those years earth had already existed.

The drill touched Marcus's leg and his screams filled the room. Sky just closed her eyes, her face contorted in pain and she actually started praying. She asked her mother for strength, for help, for a solution. Anything to ease the pain. But she also thanked her for making her believe.

Then something unexpected occurred. Sky heard the drill stopping and then something hitting the ground with a loud thud. She opened her eyes, registering what was happening and watched awe-struck as every guard collapsed to the floor, their faces quickly covering in blisters and burns. Clarke must've let the radiation enter the room, Sky realized and found herself being completely overwhelmed by what it meant. She looked back at Marcus immediately, meeting his eyes and seeing the same expression mirrored in them. It was hope, it was relief and happiness and love all at once. They were alive. He was alive! They would survive and with a little bit of luck their child would be all right, too. If Clarke needed to make up for what she'd let happen in Ton DC, this was it.

The door burst open and Octavia ran inside.

"The keys! The keys from the guard!" Sky turned to her, calling to her frantically. "Please!"

The girl didn't ask any questions and once making sure that the threat was gone, she retrieved the keys from a dead guard's uniform and freed Sky.

The moment the handcuffs were opened, Sky ran straight to Marcus.

"Oh God, are you all right?" she asked him when placing her hands on each side of his face. He actually sent her a feeble smile and then nodded. "Let me get you out of these," Sky murmured when undoing all the restrictions and belts that were keeping him immobile. She was extra gentle with his leg which was still bleeding, but she was sure they could handle that. A leg injury seemed like nothing in comparison to actually being dead.

Marcus slowly raised into a sitting position and Sky's arms immediately went around his neck, hugging him tightly. "I was so scared," she whispered into his ear. "So, so scared."

"I know, honey, I know," he answered when putting his hand on the back of her head and running it through her long, black hair. "But it's all right. We'll be all right."

She clang to him when sobbing, but somehow she seemed to be out of tears completely. Now she would never let him go, she was sure of that.

"Don't ever do this to me again," she said when pulling away slightly and cupping his face again, looking into his eyes which were so alive at the moment, so dear to her. She wouldn't stand ever seeing the light escaping them. Ever.

"I know I promised, but… your life was at stake," he tried to explain himself.

"I know, I know…" she just nodded. "I love you. I love you so much."

"I love you, too," he answered and brought his lips to hers, kissing her. "We need to get you to medical, the baby…" he started as soon as they parted.

"I'm fine. The baby is fine, too," Sky assured him. "You're the one who needs medical attention at the moment."

* * *

About an hour later Sky was lying on a cot in the medical unit of Mount Weather while Jackson was taking care of Marcus's leg.

"You're lucky," the doctor said, "it'll heal quickly."

"Yes, very lucky indeed," Marcus agreed with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "What I can't say about all the people who used to live here."

He was right, Sky thought. Innocent people had died that day at Mount Weather, especially children. At the very thought of it Sky's heart clenched painfully as she was about to have a child herself. She was sure Marcus felt the same way. Still, it wasn't as Clarke had had a choice. It was Cage, the new leader of the Mountain Men, who'd actually sentenced all his people to die. Clarke was protecting her own kin, having no choice but to let radiation into the level 5 in order to survive, to help the people she'd grown up with, to help her friends. What had happened today was both a tragedy and a bitter-sweet victory, Sky realized when she met Marcus's eyes across the room. He seemed to be exasperated now that Jackson was still fussing over his leg instead of just checking if the baby was all right.

Eventually, Kane limped to the bed on which Sky lay and took her hand. He wouldn't let go as long as possible. In those last few weeks they'd come so close to losing each other so many times that he lost count. He decided just in this moment not to come back to those memories. They needed to live on and their task now was to create a society that would be better than what they'd already seen when looking at the Grounders and Mount Weather. Lives could only be built when there was peace and that was exactly what Marcus intended to do. Even when the Grounders betrayed them in the end, he wouldn't be the first one to cast stones as long as they would leave them alone. And something told Marcus that they wouldn't be much of a risk anyway, especially not now when the Sky People had the control over the bunker.

"And there it is, your baby. It's too early to actually tell if it's a boy or a girl or… to tell you much anyway," Jackson smiled to them apologetically, "but if you look closely, there it is," he pointed something on the screen and both Sky and Marcus moved closer to see. In the end they weren't sure if they actually saw the baby, but after that and the examination Jackson had done, he told them that so far they didn't have anything to worry about.

"A little fighter you've got there," he informed. "After everything you've been through, this baby is still strong, just listen to its heartbeats. It really wants to be born." Marcus and Sky were actually rendered speechless as they listened to fast but such a regular beating, tears appearing in both their eyes. Their baby's survival was a miracle for them. "So, there aren't any complications at this moment, but we still need to do regular check-ups to be sure that everything's all right and once you're in labor," Jackson turned to Sky now, "you'll need to be here again just in case, so everything goes smoothly."

"Thank you." Sky smiled as Jackson walked towards another person who wanted his medical attention. "Our baby. Alive. Healthy," she said slowly to Marcus, having trouble processing it all.

"It's a miracle baby," Kane agreed when stroking Sky's fingers as he was still holding her hand.

"Strong just like its parents." She smiled to him through her happy tears.

"And it will be raised by the both of them," he assured her when meeting her eyes. He brushed a strand hair out of her face with affection. "Sky," he suddenly grew serious, "I…"

"Are you guys all right?" they heard Clarke's voice in that very moment.

"Yes, all thanks to you, Clarke," Sky turned to the girl when wiping the tears off her face. "The baby's all right, too. Thank you, for keeping your promise."

"I couldn't break any more of them," Clarke said in a sad voice. "I'm glad you're both ok." She turned then with the intention to go when Marcus called after her.

"Clarke, wait…"

"I really need to go. I need to… to just get out of here for a while," Clarke told them, looking around at the cold and rough walls of Mount Weather. She seemed to be way too young to carry such a heavy burden.

"I'm here if you need to talk to someone, Clarke," Sky assured her. "I can help you. I want to help you."

"Thank you, Sky, I… maybe later." With that Clarke just turned around and left, not able to stay any longer.

"I don't think she's all right," Sky then turned back to Marcus, her voice worried.

"Can you blame her? She's just taken dozens of lives," Marcus spoke.

"Yes, but…"

"We can't be fixed right away," he followed, looking at nothing particular in the distance. "It takes time. Only this can heal. Time and adaptation. Clarke did her best to fix her mistakes, but what she did was still not entirely good. She needs to deal with that and get past it on her own terms. And she may want to do it alone."

"Like it happened to you, Marcus?" Sky asked. "I am very proud of the man you've become, you know that? I didn't know it was possible, but yet, I feel like the more you've changed, the more in love with you I am."

He smiled to her and kissed her softly.

"I had help," he said. "I had a wonderful woman by my side, who saw the best in me and was always there for me."

"Oh, I hope you're talking about me," she teased him.

"Whom else?" he asked when pretending to be offended.

"So, what was it that you wanted to talk about when Clarke interrupted us?" Sky asked, reminding herself of that moment. Marcus actually sighed and then hesitated, which only worried her. "Marcus," she prompted with a frown forming on her face, "what is it? Is everything all right?" she made sure.

"Yes, of course. It's just… To be honest, I've been wanting to do something for quite some time now. It was the one thing I took before we got on the dropship…"

"I don't understand," Sky admitted when studying his expression.

"I wanted to ask you this question even before you told me you were pregnant, but there never seemed to be the right time and the first time we made love…" his voice trailed off at the memory of them under the waterfall, "back then it seemed too soon. But I was sure of it just the same."

"Marcus, I'm still not following."

He finally let go off her hand and reached to the inside pocket of his jacket. What he retrieved took her breath away and she truly forgot how to speak. It was a ring.

"What? How?" was all she managed to articulate.

"It was my mother's. It's been in my family for a very long time. It's actually the only Kane heirloom that survived from the times before the Ark. My mother never got rid of it and when she thought I was old enough, she gave it to me, so I could give it to someone one day… provided I would ever manage to find her." There was a small smile forming on the corner of his mouth as he thought of his mother. "To be honest, I was sure I would never find that person until… until you came along, Sky," he confessed, meeting her eyes, his own smoldering. "I love you and I would be honored if you agreed to become my wife."

Sky still couldn't form a coherent sentence. She was just looking at the ring, then shifting her eyes to Marcus and back to the ring in awe. And finally, when she realized that everyone in the room went silent as they realized what was happening, she found her tongue. Every pair of eyes was set on them right now, everyone waiting to hear her answer.

"I'd love to, Marcus Kane. I love you and I will marry you," she said what he needed to hear so desperately. Then she was met with a radiant smile coming from him and the ring was on her finger and his lips were on hers again and all the people in the room started clapping. Yes, even in a day that seemed to be one of the worst, a small gleam could light up the darkness.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

* * *

It wasn't easy to get rid of so many bodies that the tragedy in Mount Weather left. Fortunately for Sky People, they were all scattered in one room. Unfortunately for them, they needed to be put into a mass grave outside. Ordering his people to move them all and to put them to rest took a great toll on Marcus. First he found Sky a room in which maybe they would late live, but he still wasn't sure about that. It seemed wrong to inhabit the exact space they'd taken from all those people. Some of them had tried to kill them, but some of them were innocent. Some of them were children. It actually broke Marcus's heart to walk into the dining room and see all of them just dropped dead wherever they'd been at the moment. For the first time he actually understood why Clarke had felt the urge to leave, to just get away from everyone. What she'd done would probably haunt her forever. It was the same kind of a legacy Marcus himself and all the other Council members had left behind on the Ark. They really needed to change, Kane decided right then and there. They needed to change if they wanted to show their children a different kind of world, a world in which they didn't have to kill in order not to be killed themselves. A world in which they could just live in peace and enjoy their lives. It was still a long way to go, but Kane would make sure it happened.

Once the job was done, Marcus came back to his and Sky's new room, feeling exhausted and spent both physically and mentally. He didn't forget to bring her something to eat though when always remembering that she needed to eat for two now.

"I have a special treat for you tonight," he informed, forcing a smile to his face, so she wouldn't have yet another thing to worry about after all the turmoil of emotions and trauma she'd been through while pregnant.

"What's that?" she asked when sitting up in bed and looking at the big piece on the plate.

"Chocolate cake," Marcus informed, actually feeling himself smiling for real once seeing the excitement on his fiancée's face. "You must crave it since you're pregnant. Dig in," he encouraged her when handing her over the plate with a fork.

"It's been a while since we've used proper cutlery," she remarked when taking her first bite. "Wow! This is delicious! I've never in my life tasted something so yummy!" she voiced her appreciation and immediately took another bite. "Here, you have to have some!"

Marcus took the offered piece with a chuckle when sitting on the edge of the bed and decided that she was right. The cake was absolutely delicious. Then he imagined himself all those kids in Mount Weather liking it and his good mood was once again gone.

"Marcus, it wasn't your fault," Sky said as she knew exactly what he was thinking. "It's not on you. It's on Clarke. You tried. You really tired to make it right. You even suggested donating the marrow and it didn't work. You can't beat yourself over it."

"I know," he sighed when placing his hand on her knee and squeezing gently. "I know, it's just… cleaning the room… getting rid of the…" he stopped right then, not wanting to put that image in Sky's head. "It takes a toll on you."

"I can imagine," she admitted. "Disposing of a body in space seemed much easier."

They ate the rest of the cake in silence and then Sky suggested, "You know, this room actually have a bathroom with a shower. You want to try it out?"

"And we actually don't have to worry about saving water?" Marcus made sure, realizing that he'd never before in his life had the chance to take a shower without worrying about something.

"Nope, we don't!" Sky nearly squealed with excitement. "Come!" She took his hand and led him to the bathroom where they quickly disposed of their clothes.

Marcus actually felt his fatigue disappearing along with the water that was soon falling down on his head, renewing his strength and waking him up. Sky's naked and still slim body helped a lot and soon they were done cleaning and started kissing.

"Better enjoy the view while it lasts," Sky said when she noticed how much attention his eyes and hands gave to her body. "Soon enough I'll start resembling an elephant," she complained and when Marcus actually chuckled, she swatted him lightly on the shoulder. "Hey! I'm serious here!"

I'm sure I will still enjoy your body," he assured her. "I'll still think you're beautiful because you're carrying my child. It's a miracle and it's a part of both of us."

"Well, apparently I've got myself a man who just knows the perfect thing to say," Sky voiced her appreciated and earned a loving kiss from his side.

"What do you say we move this party to the bedroom? This cabin is very small and very slippery."

"And we don't want me to fall and cause any injury to the baby," Sky guessed. "Sure, I'd rather make love to you in bed, too."

* * *

It a few days later when the Sky People more or less adjusted to the new situation. Just then Sky and Marcus decided to organize a small wedding ceremony. They worked really hard, so it was official, recreating the circumstances of the weddings on the Ark. Sky had actually found a pretty and simple dress in one of the closets in Mount Weather, probably a dress saved especially for such an occasion and she was beaming when wearing it and standing right in front of Marcus on the hill. Marcus who for the first time in his life was actually wearing a suit, also a courtesy of Mount Weather. They found some paper and pen, too, to sign a make-shift marriage contract. They truly wanted to make it all special since it was the very first wedding of Sky People on the ground. Sky actually wanted to get married during sunset, something they'd never gotten the chance to experience back on the Ark and she got her wish. Monty then surprised her with a camera he found and took some pictures. She definitely cried too much that day, but she could be excused since she was pregnant and the hormones were raging in her body. Her constant worrying about Thelonious didn't help and when she actually danced with Marcus to the music they also took from Mount Weather, she said, "I wonder if Thelonious will ever make his way back to us."

"I'm sure that eventually he will," Marcus told his newly-wedded wife. "Just imagine the look on his face once he finds out that you're pregnant and married to me and then when he realize that we actually won the war."

"Yes, the very same war he gave us no chance of winning," Sky admitted. "I wish he was here now. I also wish Clarke was here, but well, you can't have everything." She actually wanted Clarke to be her maid of honor, but in the end she chose Raven and she just had to tease her about her newly-found relationship with Kyle. Maybe soon there would be more weddings, Sky thought with a smile on her face as she rested her head on Marcus's shoulder as they rocked slowly to the music.

* * *

**AN: **This is the end for now, but I will probably come back once the third season airs. Sadly, it'll start next year in March, so there's a long wait, but hopefully the show will gain more fans till then.

I've actually been planning the ring thing from the very beginning, trying to find the right moment (just like Marcus tried :P) and went with this. I have no idea what's at stake with Jaha. At some point I thought I would pair him romantically with Lexa, but yeah… that ship sailed a long time ago. Besides, is Thelonious even fucking serious?! Throwing a kid into the water for certain death, so he and John could go on? I did not expect such a behavior from him and whereas at the beginning of the show we thought Marcus would be the bad one, the roles has shifted! The Marcus from the end of season two _would never _do such a thing!

There is one more video to watch, this one about the events happening in chapters 8-12. I really recommend it: )

**Youtube**

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**watch?v=ov8ijAUUgfY**

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**Full link in my profile**


	13. Chapter 13

**AN: **Promo for part 3:

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Youtube

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watch?v=_gtbFOBy2Pc

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full link in my profile

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**Part 13**

…_Are you ready for even more pain…?_

Three months had passed since the massacre Clark and Bellamy had caused in Mount Weather and life seemed to be good. The peace with the grounders was very fragile, but Marcus and Sky were doing their best to keep it and were hopeful for the future as there was a summit coming in Polis. A summit they were to attend and maybe create a coalition that would actually last. For now, they lived in their old camp which they called Arcadia now. Mont Weather still belonged to them, but they decided to leave it as a shelter for winter and colder days. None of them truly wanted to live in a confinement anymore or to antagonize the grounders more by moving there permanently. At first they thought it would be for the best, but eventually Marcus decided against it. He wanted to build a completely new and untainted by the past crimes society and had Sky's full approval. As far as Sky's pregnancy was concerned, she was showing a little, carrying a healthy baby inside and had regular check-ups performed by Jackson. She was happy with her life for now, though worried for both Thelonious and Clarke. Kane was still looking for the latter, but he gave up on Jaha a long time ago whereas Sky still hoped she would see him again.

They just woke up to another beautiful day in Arcadia and Sky stretched lazily, accidently poking Marcus in the ear.

"Ouch," he uttered a mutter of complaint, but she only smiled when she turned to the side and looked at him, knowing well that he just pretended to be hurt.

"Good morning, grumpy," she teased him and he finally opened his eyes and shifted in bed as well to be able to look at her.

"That wasn't a very nice wake-up call," he complained.

"How about this one, then?" she asked when leaning in and kissing him sweetly on the mouth.

"Mmmhmm…" he moaned into her mouth when they changed positions, her straddling him and rocking into him, stirring him up all the way. "Much better," this time he voiced his appreciation and slid his hands up her thighs. "Are you eating enough?" he then asked, briefly distracted when his palm brushed over her swollen belly.

"Marcus, everything's fine," she sighed, angry that he stopped. "I am eating enough food and drinking enough water and everything's fine with the baby. It's barely the third month."

"Yeah, I know. It's just…"

"Just shut up and kiss me again. Although… I could do with less beard, ya know?"

"Now you're complaining about my beard?" he asked when cocking his head to the side. "What's wrong with it? Oh, wait, I do seem to look much older with it. Is that the problem?"

Sky rolled her eyes. "I love you and I don't care about a few grey strands in your hair, Marcus. What I do care about is my poor skin which is scratched every time you kiss me. Besides, I liked your smooth face."

"Then stop kissing me back," he suggested and laughed when she sighed again, bending down to catch his lips.

"Like I ever could," she whispered with her mouth against his.

* * *

After their morning call, Marcus and Sky both went about their days as usual. He ventured out with his team, looking for Clarke and Sky had another session with Raven. She was trying her damn best to help the girl, but sometimes was worried that she was failing. Raven might've overcome and survived many tragedies – like all of them – but she also suffered a lot. Being shot, having a surgery performed on her without any anesthesia, having her leg drilled on and them living in a chronic pain was enough to make a person stop hoping and stop fighting. Yet, she was still standing and maybe that should be enough for Sky for now even if the girl seemed to be pushing everyone away, including the man who would do just about anything for her. Sky was still sad that Raven broke up with Wick and that the guy stayed away, but she knew that in this world a chance at a happy ending, at a successful relationship was slim. She should be lucky she'd found that with Marcus, but even though, they'd hit their rough paths too. Another person Sky was even more worried about was Jasper. She came to him, offering help multiple times and every single one he just pushed her away and then drunk himself to a stupor. He just couldn't seem to deal with the pain and it was killing Sky that she wasn't able to find a good enough way to help him. Well, she hadn't found it yet. She would keep on trying, starting from taking the bottle from him right now and letting his friends take care of him. Maybe if they took him on their little adventure, it would help.

…or maybe not, she decided when they came back hours later and Jasper nearly got his throat cut by a member of the Ice Nation.

What was an even bigger surprise was the comeback of Marcus with more of the survivors from the Ark. They didn't think anyone else was still out there and yet, somehow Kane was reunited with Pike – a teacher on the Ark, one Sky actually knew since their professions were more similar to each other than the rest of them. Only she quickly stopped smiling and feeling happy that more of the Sky people came to Arcadia when Pike got into an argument with Marcus and herself about the grounders' intentions. He just couldn't understand how on earth the chancellor could cooperate with them and want to attend the summit in Polis.

"I smell trouble," Sky said when she and Marcus were finally left alone. "I get that we should be happy to have rescued more of our people, but if we don't convince them what's right and wrong, then we'll be in serious trouble."

"Pike can say whatever he wants. He's not the Chancellor," Kane came closer to Sky and put his hands on her shoulders, looking her in the eye. "We have nothing to worry about now beside the summit. We'll figure out the rest after."

Sky nodded when biting on her lip. "But I'm going with you."

He was already opening his mouth to protest when she shook her head and continued, "I'm not letting you out of my sight. It's one thing to take trips and look for Clarke around the woods with a gun in your hand, but this is another. Remember what Indra said. There are no weapons allowed at the summit."

"Then I'll be safe."

"You can't know that. The grounders can harm and kill with their bare hands. I'm coming with you."

"Think about the baby," Marcus tried one more time. Yet, he knew well that their relationship was all about compromises. They slowly learnt when to push and when to let go if they wanted to stay together. And they did want that more than anything because they loved each other. He guessed that if they were the same, maybe they would get bored with each other quickly and this way at least there was still passion between them. Passion and so much love that when he thought about it, it nearly blinded him and his heart ached in affection he held for this woman and the child growing inside her womb. He would sooner die than live without her. Which basically meant that it went both ways and he totally understood why she wanted to be by his side.

"Ok," he finally yielded and was rewarded with a beautiful smile appearing on her face. "I guess even the grounders won't hurt me if my wife is pregnant."

"Don't you dare teasing me this way. I definitely should go and if you need another reason, here it is, you want Pike to trust them? Show him that he can by taking me with you."

* * *

Sky truly didn't know how Clarke did that, but she was always there to save the day or offer a better way. They arrived at Polis, stunned by what they saw. The grounders actually had a community that wasn't all about war and dying. The summit was a beautiful thing to experience, Sky realized when holding her husband's hand as they walked from one stall to another as they were set all around the huge, majestic tower in which the commander lived. Sky wasn't as brave as to actually try all the food the grounders there were offering, but she was watching Marcus with a mixture of fondness and hilarity on her face. He enjoyed the summit immensely, leading her through the crowd, tasting food, talking to people and even handing over some gifts, reminders as he called them, of the Sky people and their good intentions.

"What?" he finally spotted the look on Sky's face and stilled. "Why are you looking at me like this?"

"I just keep seeing the man you were on the Ark in my mind and marvel at how much you've actually changed. And they say that people can't change."

"Is it a bad thing?" he asked, the smile fading away for a moment as he was afraid she might not exactly like the new him.

"Quite the contrary. You were lost on the Ark and full of pain. I fell in love with that man, but now… the pain you held inside, you finally let go of it all and you're free. You're actually truly happy and you love the life you live and I look at everything through your eyes and you make me love it, too."

"I'm not sure that's a good or bad thing."

"We're humans. We're meant to evolve, Marcus, so of course it's a good thing. As long as we love each other, it's a good thing. And I do. More and more with every day." She actually had tears in her eyes now, quite ashamed by all the things she said and felt for this man. He was her whole life and she wasn't sure what she would do without him. It was like they were so intertwined together that she didn't know where she ended and he begun. Well, provided the peace coalition worked, she would never have to. "Oh, stupid pregnancy hormones," she said when wiping her eyes and Marcus just smiled at her fondly.

Once they finally reached the tower, they were asked upstairs to meet Clarke. Clarke who was found and rescued by Lexa as a sign of a good faith and Marcus thought that it could actually work.

Now he and Sky were standing still, mesmerized by the beautiful view stretching down from the top of the tower, their hands seeking each other. Looking at the world from this high gave them perspective, made them heads spin as they realized how insignificant and small they all were in comparison. The earth could survive years of radiation, it could withstand nuclear war, but not people, people were easily killed, erased from its surface as though they were never there.

"Sky. Kane," Clarke's voice finally stirred them and they turned around, facing the girl. Her hair was longer, she had a few bruises and cuts and was dressed like a grounder, but she seemed to be all right.

"Clarke!" Sky was so happy to see the blonde that she walked straight to her and put her arms around her. "Are you ok? Where have you been?"

"Wandering around," Clarke answered ambiguously. "That's not important right now. I have a message from Lexa. She offered to make us, the Sky Kru, the thirteenth clan. If we enter this coalition, we won't have to fear anything from the grounders anymore, even from the Ice Nation. We'll be safe and will live in peace."

"Do you really trust her this much after she abandoned us all at Mount Weather?" Marcus made sure when eyeing Clarke carefully.

"I do," the girl said with conviction. "I believed her when she said she only made that choice to save her people and then she suggested I would do the same if I were her. What happened in Mount Weather belongs to the past and we need to ensure the future of our people."

"Well, then we'll do it," Kane agreed. "It's not like we have much of a choice and Lexa is a strong leader. If we can trust anyone to protect us, it's her."

"All right. You can relay the message," Sky agreed too. "But wait…" She took Clarke's hand when the girl wanted to turn around and leave. "Clarke, I need to know that…"

"There's no time for this now, Sky," Griffin interrupted. "I get what you're trying to do, but I'm fine. Really. I'm much better now."

"You're still haunted by everything that happened. I can tell that much."

"There's no escape for me," Clarke just said. "Not after what I've done and nothing and no one can help me with that. Not even you. Now, excuse me, but I need to go and deal with what's important."

Marcus and Sky were once again left alone and he just looked at her. "She'll be all right. She always is in the end."

"It's not that," Sky admitted when shaking her head. "I… I always want to help whoever I can and however I can and I thought it was hard on the Ark, but here… Raven is still in pain. Jasper refuses to even see me. And Clarke…"

"Hey, hey," Marcus said quickly when putting his hands on Sky's shoulders and holding her gaze. "There's no miracle cure for pain out there, Sky. You can help as much as you want, but some people just refuse to be helped. And sometimes there is no getting better. All you can do is to leave it to time. If something can heal all wounds, it's time."

"No," she disagreed with another shake of her head. "When you lose something that is the most dear to you, not even time can help you. Only death."

"Where is all of this coming from?" Marcus wondered when she walked to the window again to look at the world, still stunned by the view.

"It's always been there, Marcus. It's been in me since the moment…" she stopped for a moment, but then she faced him bravely, "since the moment you offered to stay behind on the Ark, so we could all reach the ground. Even since then I've just been afraid that there would come a day in which I'm going to lose you. And with every day I love you more and then I think of all the times we almost…"

"That's in the past now," he assured her when coming over and taking her into his arms. "Now we can live in a world of peace."

"You can't promise that."

"Well, I can have hope and do my best, can't I?"

"I guess."

* * *

Marcus's words were echoing in Sky's head when the smell of a burnt flesh filled the room. _His flesh._ In order to become the thirteenth clan, the leader of Sky Kru had to bear a mark. One moment the grounders were talking about peace and end of war and the next they were hurting their own kin. That was something she would probably never understand. Their rules and customs were supposed to be modern, but somehow Sky felt like they came back to the past every time she witnessed something like this. The whole phrase _blood must have blood _still wasn't sitting well with her, but she refused to think about it. That was what she did. If something seemed too much, if she couldn't understand it or handle it, she just refused to think about it or watch it. She couldn't possibly tell those people to stop and to change their customs because then the Sky Kru would surely become their enemy number one. All she could do was to bear it and move on.

Only how was she supposed to be fine when they just burnt a mark into the arm of the man she married? Of the man she loved and cared for more than she did for herself? How was she supposed to handle it when being pregnant and instantly feeling sick when the smell hit her nostrils? Only then the nausea passed completely, replaced by surprise and then terror when Bellamy Blake with his friends burst into the room, interrupting the ceremony and informing that there was a traitor somewhere among them, waiting to strike and to kill.

Marcus quickly made his way back to Sky, forgetting about the searing pain in his arm when the life of his family was at stake and then it turned out that they had nothing to be afraid of, after all. What Bellamy heard was a lie, a diversion to make him and the guards leave Mount Weather unarmed and to strike it.

Mount Weather – which now was gone. Blown up as somebody triggered a self-destruction mechanism - a declaration of war.


	14. Chapter 14

**AN: **I'm glad to tell you that I have officially finished writing this story and not just in this season. I decided to end this definitively on my own terms, both using my ideas from the time I begun the whole thing and from the ending of season 3. There's 19 chapters in total, this one being the 14th, so you will have quite a ride and a surprise with a totally AU chapter 19.

* * *

**AN: **I made a new cover. Also wrote an new description.

* * *

**Part 14**

Clarke stayed behind as an ambassador of the newly established thirteenth clan, but the rest came back to the Arcadia with Marcus and Sky as they had to have another funeral. They had to mourn those who were killed in Mount Weather. Also, they had to find new ways to survive now as their conveniences and supplies mostly came from the Mountain. Sky was especially on edge as she couldn't stop thinking about the perfect medical they had out there, all those instruments and machines just blown out to pieces. Jackson assured her that her baby was all right and that the pregnancy wasn't endangered anymore, but it made her feel safe to know that there was a plan b out there, that if she went to labor and something bad happened, she could get help. Jackson was able to perform a c section in Mount Weather, but he couldn't do that in camp. At least not under complete anesthesia and the very thought of that and the massive bleeding that it could result in made Sky feel sick. Her heartbeat accelerated when she realized that even if she gave birth naturally, she could still have a hemorrhage.

"Hey, it's gonna be all right," she heard Marcus's voice right next to her and then his hand was over hers, giving her the needed comfort. Although it didn't exactly made her feel better. "Everything will be all right," he repeated.

"You can't promise that," she pointed out. "It's awful what happened. All those lives lost and at the time of supposed peace. And now… we lost so much _again_, Marcus. What if something's wrong with the baby and then…"

"Nothing's wrong. This little one you're carrying is a fighter," Kane patiently assured her once again. "I believe it will survive anything. So will his mother."

"His?" she picked up on that just as he knew she would. "You can't know that for sure. What if it's a she?"

"Nah. It's definitely a he."

"We'll see."

"Wanna bet?"

"Wouldn't dream of it."

And just like that, with a playful banter, Sky temporarily forgot about her worries. She leaned her head against Marcus's shoulder and they continued their drive towards Arcadia.

"Does it hurt?" Sky asked after a moment when she noticed the awkward position he held his arm in.

"No."

"Liar," she immediately said, looking at his hand morosely even though he covered the fresh wound with his sleeve. It just happened to be the very same hand he'd once cut to kill himself when the grounders had told him to kill Thelonious or be killed himself. Sky felt sick again, the slight nausea coming back. It was weird since she was sure she was past that stage. Apparently, she might have motion sickness on top of it all, she decided when the car hit a bump in the road. They'd found vehicles in Mount Weather, never used by the Mountain Men for obvious reason. It only took a few moderations from Monty and Wick and they could actually use them to drive, which made their lives a lot easier.

When looking at her husband's tortured hand, Sky had a bad feeling in her stomach and it seemed to go beyond her usual sickness. It was as though something was hanging in the air, some tragedy, something bad ready to happen like dark clouds gathering on the horizon and coming dangerously close. Like all the things they'd already been through, all the misery and the pain weren't just over. That there were signs around them that they wouldn't be together forever, that she would lose him.

She refused to think about it. It was silly anyway. She was probably just exhausted and sad because of everything that happened.

* * *

The next few days weren't easy on the Sky Kru. Pike didn't like Kane's coalition with the grounders and people actually started listening to him. What was worse, Bellamy was the first in line, which upset and worried Sky. She understood that he lost his girlfriend in the explosion of Mount Weather, but that didn't give him the right to hate all the grounders. It was the Ice nation who was responsible for the attack, not Lexa. The situation changed rapidly when people started to demand an actual election as they'd never had the chance to choose their Chancellor with Kane simply taking over after Jaha. That and the worried look on Jackson's face when Sky came to him, so he could check up on her baby was enough to cause her to panic. The baby was all right, but she could tell that the doctor was trying to figure out how and where she would give birth and he also started preparing for all the possible outcomes. None of which sat well with her.

Marcus, already thrown of balance with the election coming, got even more angry with Jackson for worrying his wife when it seemed completely unnecessary.

"I just don't know how to have this baby without that help," Sky confessed, shaking all over. She knew she was panicking, but somehow she couldn't stop. What happened in Mount Weather to her and Marcus and even before that - what happened when the missile the Mountain Men had launched hit - it broke her somehow. She knew she would never be the same. She knew she would never be carefree or sure about the future. She lost that along the way. Lost it with all the pain and heartache and the only thing that kept her steady, the only thing that was her balance, the thing that didn't let her break was Marcus because he was always there. He survived along with her and only he could truly understand her fears. That was why he was the one who could calm her down now.

He cupped her face, forcing her to look at him and he held her gaze as long as it took. "It's all right," he said to her, "it's going to be all right. I promise, Sky. And do you know how I know that? Because I will be there with you. I will be with you every step of the way. We'll do this together. I will _always _be with you."

Of course they would be together when it happened, Sky realized. She's almost lost him so many times, but he also always survived. Maybe she was still worried when seeing the scars he bore on his hand, but her fears had no grounds because he was there despite everything. It was as though they were invincible when together and could overcome anything.

She believed him. She always did. She also knew that without him she would break a long time ago.

* * *

This was a fucking disaster, Sky decided. It wasn't enough that Kane had to arrest Pike because he was caught together with some of his people and Bellamy, wanting to sneak out of the camp and kill the army that was actually sent by Lexa to protect the Sky Kru and not to attack them. Right after that, they carried out the official election and surprise, surprise, Pike became the new Chancellor, throwing them all off balance, pardoning himself, rejecting the union with the grounders and ordering a massacre on the army anyway.

Sky was actually close to crying when she found out about it all, but then, there was one small light that shone in the darkness she kept on seeing. One moment she heard screams coming from the guards and then a shot rang out. She ran to the gate only to see… Thelonious.

There was a grounder with him - now a dead grounder, but somehow Jaha didn't seem to be worried at all. He said something about the man finally finding peace in… _the City of Light?_ Sky frowned, but she was too distracted by what was happening inside her, by the sudden happiness and relief she felt at seeing her friend that she didn't think about his words at all.

"Thelonious?" she asked him when he was finally let in by the guards as they recognized him as well. "Thelonious, I was so afraid I would never see you again!" she screamed and ran to him when he just barely noticed her. Then her arms were flung around his neck and she was pressing herself against him, hugging him tightly and whispering into his ear that she always had hope they'd meet again.

Something seemed off though, but she couldn't really pinpoint what it was. He was strangely clean and neatly shaved, which should come as a surprise to her, but then his behavior was even weirder. When she threw herself into his arms, he was awkward at first and then finally, he hugged her back, enveloping her in his arms and saying that he missed her too.

When she pulled away and looked into his eyes, she almost frowned, trying to decide what changed exactly. He looked at her differently, but yet she couldn't really tell what difference that was. She decided to let it go for now. After all, he was in love with her and she chose Marcus.

"You're… pregnant," Thelonious finally noticed. Sky's belly wasn't as much protruding, but she did hugged him tightly, so it was pretty hard not to notice the obvious difference in the shape of her body.

"And married, actually," she informed. "But that's not important right now. Where have you been? Did you find what you were looking for?"

"As a matter of fact, I did, indeed."

"Come inside! Tell me everything!"

* * *

With every word coming out of Thelonious's mouth, Sky's expression changed more and more. At first she thought he was joking when telling her that the City of Light was actually a virtual reality. Then she looked at him in disbelief as he offered her a life free of any emotional or physical pain to finally hand her over a chip she was to swallow and meet him on the other side.

Of course, she didn't listen. How could she? What he was trying to sell was crazy. Even beyond that. And he also claimed that his grounder friend was in the City of Light right now because there was no death there.

In that moment Marcus entered the room. Sky felt bad that she actually forgot to call for him, but news must've travelled quickly, so he wasn't far behind in greeting Jaha.

"I thought you were dead!" Kane said in surprise when he hugged his friend.

"Ask him where he's been," Sky told Marcus in a skeptical voice. "And then ask where his friend is right now." She pointed the dead body that was earlier carried inside by the guards.

Marcus shot Jaha the same blank expression when the man started talking.

* * *

"And here I actually thought that Thelonious's return will change something around here for the better," Sky sighed when lying down right next to Marcus on their bed. "Do you actually believe anything he's saying?"

"Honestly? I don't know. We have to check it up, though before any of our people decide that they want their pain taken away."

"I should have an eye on Jasper, Raven and Bellamy," Sky said. "They're the ones most likely to take the chip."

"I would look into Jaha first. There's something… off about him."

"Right?" Sky asked when turning on the side to look at her husband. "I mean… don't get me wrong, I don't want to see him hurt, but the last time I saw him he was so… down about everything. I could tell that he had feelings for me and it pained him that I could never reciprocate them. He only wanted me to be happy, but something tells me that he disappeared because it was easier not to see me. It's not that I miss it, because I don't, but… he looked at me like a completely different person today. Like I was just someone he knew, not even a friend."

"That is weird," Marcus admitted when rubbing his face. "We'll look into it tomorrow. Now I'm just too tired."

"I'm sorry everything went to hell. The result of the voting was very close."

"But not close enough to make me the Chancellor. It's not even about the title. It's just…"

"I know. Now we've massacred an army that was out there to protect us and I don't know what's gonna happen tomorrow. I'm scared, Marcus," Sky admitted. "And this time I actually have a reason to be."

"We'll be all right. We'll always find a way," he assured her when facing her. "And if not, then we'll run away together. Octavia was planning on doing that with Lincoln before Pike happened."

"Lincoln is in a prison right now. God, we need to help the grounders Pike put in there today."

"I know. And we will."

"And we have to protect our family in the process."

"We can do both. We have to do something about Pike."

"We'll figure it all out tomorrow," Sky decided, so close to actually falling asleep now.

"We will," Marcus answered her, trying to make her feel better, but if her eyes weren't already closed, she would see the worry and fear clear on his face.


	15. Chapter 15

**Part 15**

The next day didn't make anything better. If so, it made everything worse. It turned out that Lexa's patience finally wore off – though it was a surprise to Sky that the commander hadn't killed them all off already. It must've been the Clarke's influence, she decided, realizing that Lexa more than just liked the girl. For now, the grounders surrounded Arcadia, conveying a message that anyone who would try to get past the blockage would be killed. It would be lifted if they handed them over their new leader, Pike. Needless to say, Pike wasn't willing and even though Sky told Marcus not to get involved in fear something might happen to him, he did try to speak to Pike's mind. All that merited was the new Chancellor's suspicions towards Kane.

"Well, I had to do something," Kane told Sky when she confronted him about it, already having too much on her mind with Thelonious's return and his strange behavior and the baby she was carrying inside.

"I know, but we have to be smart about it. Let's just apprehend him and hand him over to the grounders."

"You know well that it won't be so simple. He has too many guards around him at all times. The only way to do this would be to kill him."

"Then let's do this," she said like they were discussing the weather and not the murder on one of their own.

"Sky, are you serious?" Marcus asked, surprise evident in his eyes. "We're talking about…" he came to a sudden stop and then started again, "Is this as you see me? Is this as you've always seen me? Just because I floated so many people on the Ark, am I a murderer to you? Is this child's father a murderer?" he asked, pointing her belly.

"No, Marcus," she denied, shaking her head and opening her eyes widely, "of course not! That's not what I meant."

"Because I am not that man anymore, Sky. I've changed. And I did it as much for you as I did it for myself."

"I know, Marcus, I know. I know you wouldn't waste another life ever again, but I am the one holding for dear life here. Me and our baby. What kind of a world will we bring it to exactly? I can't have it in captivity. I can't let the grounders kill us either."

"We'll figure something out, I promise," Kane said, still bothered by their conversation. "We will. And no one will have to die."

"A lot of us already have," Sky just said and walked away, ready to take care of another problem because she couldn't possibly think of this one right now.

* * *

Her worst fears started coming true when she spotted Raven leaving the medical all smiley and happy. When she asked Jackson about it, he admitted that the girl had taken the chip and it looked like nothing was wrong with her. She didn't feel any pain anymore and her vitals were all normal. Somehow, the pain had disappeared and he couldn't explain it. He would have to run more tests on the chip if only he got one.

Sky decided that if anyone could get Jackson the key, it was her since Jaha trusted her. She didn't have to look for long. Thelonious was in the main room, surrounded with people to whom he was giving away the chips. She was watching him from a distance for a while, trying to decide what changed in this man. If his pain, both emotional and physical were gone, then maybe that was her answer, but she didn't buy it. She could understand the relieve of the physical pain, but the emotional one, the one that was mental, buried deeply inside someone's heart or head, that was another thing. Someone's heart… she suddenly came up with a plan and made her way to Jaha.

"Have you decided to take the key?" he asked her as he turned to her with a huge smile on his face and that was when she finally figured it out. He'd used to look at her with slight pain behind those pupils, pain because she couldn't reciprocate his feelings, because she couldn't love him the way he loved her. Now it seemed to just be gone.

Still, she took the chip from him, examining it from up close in her hand.

"I don't need relieve from pain, Thelonious," she finally told him when meeting his eyes.

"Everyone needs it, Sky," his answer was.

"Do you really want me to take it?" she made sure, just looking at him from up close. "You're sure that it won't harm me in any way?"

"Of course I am."

"You used to care about me a lot, Thelonious, even loved me and now… now you seem like a completely different person, almost like a stranger, like another man was occupying this body," she dared say, fishing for a confirmation of what she was already pretty sure.

His expression changed slightly when she said the word love as though he was trying to remember something very hard and that was the moment she knew. He didn't have any emotional pain left because his mind might've been altered. How else would one take that kind of a pain if not by removing the stimuli?

"What am I supposed to be doing? Pine for you?" he asked her then, his voice growing slightly angry and exasperated with her, even brusque. "Why would I want to win you over now? Marcus apparently beat me to it and he impregnated you. Why would I want to take you? I have everything I need in the City of Light."

He hurt her, his words cutting like a knife straight into her heart. That was the moment she decided to retreat because the Jaha she knew would never speak to her this way. He hadn't done it even when she'd told him she didn't love him and couldn't be with him, even when he'd found out about her and Marcus.

Marcus, she thought. Maybe he was right, after all. Maybe Thelonious was truly gone and there was no coming back.

"I… I'm keeping this," she said, already feeling her voice growing weak and squeaky as she turned around and walked away from Jaha. She did manage to hear him tell her to take the chip again.

She walked straight to medical and told Jackson to examine the thingy, then she retreated, not answering when he asked her what was wrong.

Because _everything _was wrong, she thought when walking into her and her husband's room and sitting on the bed, taking one deep breath after another. Still, tears flew down her face eventually and that was how Marcus found her.

"Sky, what happened?" he asked when immediately coming over to her, sitting by her side and putting his arms around her.

So she told him. Thelonious not only came back wrong, but he was stealing people's mind by erasing their memories.

"I know I should be happy that he's finally free of the pain I caused him, but… this isn't the same man anymore. He's cold and calculated and… where's the Jaha that stayed behind on the Ark so you could come to the ground with me?" she sobbed into Marcus's chest. This way she couldn't see the shadow passing through his face when she spoke about Thelonious. Maybe Kane would never get over his jealously, even if it had no grounds. Sky chose him, yes, but as long as Jaha was in love with her, he knew he would always be jealous and maybe scared a little deep down inside that there would come a day in which he would do something that would cost him her love. So far he'd been doing quite well and she said so herself. That was why he refused to sentence anyone else to death, that was why he refused to kill or hand his own people over to the grounders, so they could do the killing, even if that person was Pike. He just didn't want to be the old himself again. Still, he might not have a choice soon and he knew it. Sky didn't know about how much involved he actually was with the resistance. She didn't know about his secret meetings and his connection to Octavia who was outside, trying to do her best and warn yet another village of the danger coming. Maybe now it was finally the time to reveal that truth.

"Are you fucking serious right now?!" Sky moved away from him, looking at him with pain and shock in her eyes. Just like he suspected, she got angry with him. More even. She was furious. "And you didn't even tell me?! Marcus, you know how dangerous what you're doing can be! If Pike finds out… wait, scratch that! I think he already knows and soon he'll find the proof he needs and he will harm you!"

"I'll be careful. I'm doing this for our future," Marcus tried to explain.

"Our future? What kind of a future that will be if our child won't have a father?!" she yelled at him as she stood up and walked over to her closet.

"What are you doing?" Marcus asked her when he noticed the knife she retrieved from there. Somehow a picture of a pregnant woman with a knife didn't sit well with him. "Sky, what the hell are you doing?!" he asked again when raising his voice, getting to her and catching her already by the door. "Drop this!" he told her.

"I will kill him myself if I have to!" she screamed, desperation and fear clear on her face. "I have to! If this is what it takes to have a future, then I will!"

"No, you will not," Kane said in a voice calm but sharp and authoritative and then took the knife from her hand. "I will take care of it and I won't have to kill anyone."

"So what are you going to do? Hand him over to the grounders? How?"

"I have a plan. Just promise me," he cupped her face, "promise me you will not get involved. It's imperative that you don't, Sky. You have to promise me."

"All right," she finally said, calming down enough. "All right." She nodded. "But you better be careful."

"Always am. Still, no matter what happens, you will not get involved."

"All right," she agreed.

"Good." He nodded.

"Marcus?" she called his name when he was leaving, so he turned back to her.

"Yes?"

"How will we get past this? How will we overcome _this_ when it's finally over?" she just asked, hugging herself as though she was cold. She still felt shaken up.

"I don't know, but we'll have to. Let's take it one thing at a time, ok?"

She nodded, not able to say anything else.

* * *

_I have a plan. Don't get involved. It'll be ok._

Fucking ok that turned out to be, Sky thought, not sure whether she should be furious or devastated.

Because Marcus's plan didn't work out at all.

Actually, it almost did, but then Bellamy cut his way out of the camp and Kane just couldn't kill the boy. Needless to say, it did not end well and now Sky was knocking on the door to Chancellor Pike's room, crying and shaking because she found out that he sentenced her husband to death for the crimes of treason, kidnapping and attempted murder.

She'd never felt more alone in her entire life. Thelonious, even though present in body, was gone in spirit and she knew the only relief he could offer her right now was taking that fucking chip. She didn't have anyone else but Marcus. Clarke wasn't there. Sinclair was imprisoned as well and Raven was just a walking, mindless and painless copy of Jaha and everyone else who'd taken the key to the City of Light.

All Sky had left was the child growing inside her, but she just couldn't, wouldn't do this without her husband.

That was why she was now standing in front of Pike, begging him for Marcus's life.

"He did this to himself, Sky. He apparently didn't think about his family and the consequences."

She so desperately wanted to confess that she and Kane planned this together and she promised to stay away, but she couldn't. This might get her in trouble as well as she had to think about her baby first. She did promise that to Marcus too, after all. She couldn't even comprehend how they found themselves at this point so fast. How they could just crash and burn like this.

"For God's sake, Pike, he's the father of my child!" Sky played her last card, actually breaking down in front of him. She didn't care anymore. She didn't have to be strong all the time. She had the right to fall apart like any human being did.

"All this child needs to survive is its mother," Pike then said and made the final crack in Sky, shattering her heart into millions of pieces she would never be able to put together. He was just taking her world away, sentencing her to death as well. Marcus's life couldn't end like this. It just couldn't. It didn't make sense for him to die when he was just trying to do the right thing!

Still, the definition of the right thing varied around the camp recently.

"Then at least let me see him! Let me see my husband!" Sky demanded, gathering the last remnants of strength inside of her. It still wasn't too late, she told herself. There were still people out there who were willing to help her, who were willing to fight Pike and free her husband, she knew that much. Those who'd been working with Kane before his bold move, they weren't in prison. Not yet. And there was Octavia out there, knowing a secret way into the camp and out of it. All Sky had to do was to hold on long enough till she could help Marcus. And she would help him. She would.

"All right," Pike said to her relief. "I'll be merciful enough to grant you this," he agreed and all she wanted to do was to just slap him across the face or plunge a knife deeply into his heart. She'd never been this revengeful before. She'd never wished people death or any harm, not even when the missile had fallen on Ton DC, not even when they Mountain Men had wanted to drain their bone marrow. But she did understand the Mountain Men. She didn't understand Pike and truly grew to hate him for his own hatred towards everything connected to the grounders.


	16. Chapter 16

**Part 16**

Pike might've, as he said it, _mercifully _grant her a seeing with Marcus before his execution, but he did keep her from her husband for as long as possible as though he was doing everything he could to inflict her more pain. Well, it was working, but Sky wasn't wasting her time on brooding or crying in the corner. Instead, she used it to concoct a plan and involve all the people she could trust. There were holes in it, but they didn't have enough time to make it perfect – if that was even possible. They had to partially rely on luck, but Sky firmly believed they could make it. She had guards working for her incognito, playing the roles of double agents ever since Kane had started working against Pike. Also, most importantly, Pike had no idea about their involvement in Kane's plan. He thought that every single party of the coup was already in prison.

At the last possible moment the new Chancellor informed that both Sinclair and Lincoln would be executed as well. It wasn't good news, but at least it caused Bellamy to shift sides and escape the camp to seek out his sister. Octavia was already on board, but Sky was sure that having to rescue her own boyfriend could help them as it made the girl want to succeed that much more. Sky herself was close to breaking, but for now she decided to take Octavia's advice and let the worry and fear in after the war was won. The Blake girl always said that one didn't mourn those who were killed before it was all over, so Sky wouldn't break until she was sure Marcus was all right. For now, he needed her. And if… she refused to even think about it, but if her husband died, if something went wrong and she lost him, then maybe she would just take that fucking chip from Jaha and forget all about him. Because she wasn't sure she was strong enough to handle the pain. She wasn't sure anyone was. She didn't see a point in torturing herself anymore and in that moment she thought of the one woman on the Ark that she couldn't help. The very same who decided to sacrifice herself among the three hundred twenty people to buy more time for the rest. She'd lost her husband, had no children and refused to live that way anymore. Only Sky did have a baby on the way. A baby that would one day want to know about its father…

She shook her head, forcing all those dreadful thoughts away, telling herself to be like Octavia. In that moment, Pike finally allowed her to see Marcus and her husband was led into a room she was waiting in. Handcuffs binding his hands and legs.

Once Sky saw him, once she looked into his eyes as he came closer to face her, she knew she wouldn't want to live in a world without him because he was her world and the love of her life. It made her feel awful, all sad and morose as she realized that maybe she finally understood Thelonious. If he loved her at least half as much as she did love Marcus, then she understood why he needed to get away, why he needed to forget about her and the pain it carried.

"Marcus," she could only say his name as she ran to him and thrust herself into his arms, burying her face in his neck and partially in his hair. She needed to cut it, she made a note to herself and nearly burst out crying when realizing that she might not get the chance to do it. "I'm sorry," she said. "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry," she couldn't stop repeating those words, feeling like he was incarcerated because of her, because she wanted to stop Pike by all means necessary, even if she had to kill him and because Marcus wanted to protect her and decided to do something about it himself.

Finally, she let go of him a little and then immediately cupped his face, looking him deeply in the eye. She got closer and kissed his mouth, his cheeks. She kissed whatever part of his face her lips met and then she felt something wet and realized those were her own tears. She finally stopped with the kisses at his lips, not able to tear herself away from him.

"I won't let this happen to you. I won't," she said, her mouth still brushing over his as she promised that. He stood completely still as though he couldn't seem to move and she understood. If he did, if he let himself feel, he would break down completely. He must've thought he would never get the chance to see his baby, to be family. But she would make sure to give him that chance.

"Don't," Marcus finally spoke, his voice hoarse, slightly breaking. "If they catch you, you'll be sentenced to death too."

"Then I won't get caught," Sky told him. If he thought she was going to let it go, then he had another thing coming. "I will not let this child grow up, not knowing you and not getting to love you. I just won't. So don't you dare ask me this."

"But…"

"If the roles were reversed, you'd try and save me too."

"I am trying to save you!" Marcus raised his voice and then he made a step back, covering his face with his bound hands. "I can't watch you being killed as well! I just can't! I've done enough! I've got us in enough of trouble."

"You wouldn't have if I hadn't wanted to get rid of Pike," she told him. "I am getting you out of this."

"You can't possibly do something like this alone. It's a suicide," Kane tried one more time, lowering his hands down and looking at her with shiny eyes.

"I won't be doing it alone," she assured him.

He frowned at that, maybe just now realizing that she actually had a plan.

"If there's more of you, can you at least promise me that you'll stay away? That you'll be somewhere far away from here, somewhere Pike's people would be able to see you?"

She thought for a moment and then she finally nodded. Then there was a gentle knocking at the door, indicating that their little seeing was over and soon Marcus would head off to his own death.

"I love you, Marcus," she said it one more time just in case. "We're together till the end. Always," she emphasized when cupping his face and kissing him hard on the lips, trying to pour all of her love for him and all the courage she could muster into him. If she was to stay away, it might happen that he would leave the camp without her and she wouldn't be able to join him until later, so she had to make this kiss matter. After all, he was right. If there was no way of connecting her to freeing her husband and letting him escape, Pike wouldn't have the grounds to accuse her of anything, especially not when she was pregnant.

"I love you," Kane told her when the door opened and the guards tore him away from his wife, leaving her in an empty room.

* * *

For a moment there, Sky was truly scared things wouldn't go as planned, but in the end Kane made it out of the camp alive. Yet, barely did she feel the blissful relief washing over her, she heard a gunshot and when she ran in panic to see who got shot, when she ran to see if by any chance it was her husband somehow caught even though Monty signaled her that he was fine, she saw Lincoln lying in a pool of rainwater and blood. His blood. He was dead, shot in the head by no one else but Pike.

Sky felt sick, all of the stress finally catching up with her as she nearly fell down. Eventually, she just walked aside and threw up, something that didn't happen to her in weeks. She couldn't believe that Lincoln somehow got left behind and paradoxically, she was so confused and probably looked so green that Pike took that for a shock washing over her and relief that Marcus was gone and alive and that the shot she heard didn't exactly kill him, but a grounder instead. The Chancellor actually had the audacity to walk over to her and ask if she was all right. She'd let him know earlier that she couldn't be there for the execution, that she wouldn't be able to handle it and she'd begged a few more times, tearing up and all, but he'd been unyielding. Right now Pike was sure that she changed her mind in the last moment, actually deciding to see her husband one more time and now was sick with relief that he didn't die.

And she never before in her entire life hated someone so much as she hated Pike. She wanted to scratch his eyes out with her bare hands and she even tried to throw herself at him, but then one of the 100 stopped her, telling her to calm down and think about her baby. Luckily for her, Pike had enough _mercy _in him as not to put her in jail. He decided that she wasn't in her right mind because of the pregnancy hormones raging in her body. Something that actually made her even more angry with him.

* * *

Sky wanted to follow Marcus immediately, done with the camp and done with fighting for her own people. The truth was that she was tired of that fight. She was tired of being the Chancellor's wife and always doing the right thing, even if Marcus wasn't the official leader anymore. Just for once, she wanted to follow her husband and do what was best for her family. And that wasn't staying in Arcadia. That was running away before things got out of hands and she got hurt. She couldn't really rely on anybody as a lot of them were already chipped and she didn't have a way of stopping Thelonious anyway.

It was decided. When the night fell, Monty promised to occupy the guards with some false alarm, so she could sneak out on the other side of the camp. She did want to know if everything was all right with the baby since she's been through a lot of stress recently, so she paid Jackson a visit. She also needed to ask whether he found out what was in the chip and how it worked.

"Everything seems to be fine," he said when listening to the baby's heartbeat for a moment and then doing his usual check-up. "Here, drink this. It's vitamins. It'll help." He handed her over a glass of water.

She was already putting the rim of the glass to her mouth when she hesitated. There was something in the liquid and when she took a closer look at it, she spotted the chip.

Panic washed over her as she realized that Jaha must've gotten to Jackson and chipped him. She wanted to get away, she wanted to strike at the doctor, but he was faster. There was a scalpel pressed so tightly against her belly right now that she was afraid that if only she moved, it would cut right through her skin.

"Take the chip, Sky," Jackson said in an impersonal, almost robotic voice, "or watch your baby die."

Like she ever had a choice.

* * *

_Everything that had ever pained her, everything that had ever scared her, it was all gone now. She felt blissful. Happy. Free. Like she could do and achieve anything she wanted._

_She was standing in the City of Light, at the top of a skyscraper, watching the city below. And it wasn't the ruins she already saw on earth. It was all shiny and new and beautiful. As though there never was a nuclear attack. As though there never was any pollution problem. As though the earth was clean and fresh and full of life._

"_You've made it," she heard a voice and she turned around to see Thelonious standing there and watching her in the company of a woman in a red dress._

_Still, they weren't the only people there. Sky felt something tugging on the blue summer dress she was wearing. She looked down, seeing a beautiful little boy standing there. He had her eyes and her hair color but the texture of it was all Marcus. His face was also like his father's._

"_Mommy! Mommy!" he called out to her._


	17. Chapter 17

**Part 17**

Marcus knew he should be happy he was alive, but he just couldn't stop worrying about Sky being left behind in Arcadia. At the time he was, indeed, too scared to let her come with in case anything went wrong and they both got caught. That didn't happen and he considered himself lucky. Still, now he had to come up with a plan to hand Pike over to the grounders as soon as possible, so he could return home to his pregnant wife. He just wished she didn't do anything foolish during his absence, the fear being completely irrational since he trusted her to lay low after everything that happened.

To his surprise, the unexpected help came from the person of Bellamy Blake who at first seemed to be leading Pike to them and capturing them, but eventually his plan was to actually hand the Chancellor over to the grounders once they came close to the boarder. Kane was pretty sure the boy was just saving his sister who was also captured with them, but it was enough for him for now.

The grounders took the stunned and disappointed Pike whereas the rest of the Sky Kru was free to return home or go to Polis. Marcus took the first chance he got and marched straight towards Arcadia with Bellamy and Octavia. They barely came close to their camp when they saw a car driving straight towards them, Jasper behind the wheel and terrified Clarke right next to him. They stopped just in time.

"Get in!" Clarke screamed when opening the door.

"We're going back to camp," Marcus informed with frown and then he heard screams. "What's happening?" There couldn't possibly be anything wrong, could there? Not when Pike was already taken care of.

"Get in and I'll tell you everything! Quickly! There's no time!" Clarke yelled and all of them, stunned, finally listened.

As soon as they were in the car, Jasper speeded off in the direction opposite to Arcadia.

"What the hell is going on?! I need to get to Sky!" Marcus demanded some answers.

"You can't. At least not right now. They're all chipped," Clarke said and as she did so, something in Kane's stomach dropped. "Jaha must've gotten to them all. It's just not safe there anymore. They're like a mindless crowd, charging you, forcing you to take the chip. I'm scared to think of what happens when you decline."

"But…" Marcus started, bewildered expression on his face. "No! Sky would've never…"

"Then they made her!" Jasper raised his voice in exasperation. "I'm sorry, Kane, but right now the best thing you can do for her is to let her be while we find a way to undo this."

For a moment, Marcus just sat there, taking it all in until it sunk. It wasn't enough that they averted one crisis. Another had to just come right after.

"Where are we going then?" Marcus finally asked another question.

"Lexa is dead and the person who's first in line to be the commander is crazy. I can't let her rule because then we'll all be in danger. I'm pretty sure the first thing she'll do will be to wipe us all out. I need to find Luna. Lincoln knew where she was, I just need to find his map."

"I'm not going with you," Kane then said, not even surprised this time to hear about more tragedies happening. "I need to find Sky."

"She's not Sky anymore, dude!" Jasper just said to which Marcus frowned. "Sorry… Kane. But she's not your wife at this point and the best thing you can…"

"I won't bloody hell just stand still and wait for you to save the day! At least I'm going to go Polis and check the situation there."

"Not a good idea," Clarke warned him.

"Where's Indra? I need to talk to her."

* * *

In the end, Marcus did reach Polis as he knew that his grounders friends were on their way there too, to welcome the new commander. If he was lucky, he might catch up with them and warm them or at least find protection with them. He left the car – Clarke and the rest needed it and even if not, Marcus had no idea how to drive this thing – and headed towards Polis. The journey took him much longer since he was on foot, but eventually he got there.

And was almost left standing still when he saw the most horrible thing. He did remember that the first days after he'd come to the ground, he'd found his people in the jungle, crucified and left for death, but that was in the past. What he saw in Polis exceeded his worst expectations. There were actual crosses set up in there and people, the grounders, were hanging from them. The metallic, sickening smell of blood hung in the air and Marcus thought he would soon gag. Yet, he forced himself to move forward, to see if he could find anyone worth saving, anyone alive. His feet stepped into a pool of blood, but he went forward until he saw people that were still alive – or depending on one's definition of alive anyway.

Because even though they seemed to breathe and sit on the ground, they weren't moving, just forming a circle like a cult. They must've been in the City of the City of Light, Marcus figured, standing as though his feet were actually permanently attached to the ground.

He wasn't sure there for a moment whether he should demand speaking with the commander – he did bear a mark on his arm that made him and his people the thirteenth clan. Although maybe he should listen to Clarke for once and retreat, wait for her to come back with Luna. Maybe that was the best idea.

He was about to turn around and walk away when he heard a voice and he knew it was too late.

"Hello, Marcus. Have you finally decided to take the key?" Thelonious walked out of the tower, his people shadowing him.

"Never," Kane's simple answer was, but Thelonious didn't seem to be disappointed with that.

"Where's Sky?" Marcus asked immediately since it was the only thing he wanted to know.

"She took the key. She's in the City of Light now. Take it yourself and you can be with them too. And happy."

"Them?" Kane picked up on that, discreetly trying to find a way out, but his heart dropped when he spotted the members of the cult waking up, standing up and surrounding him and Jaha. There was no way out, but he wouldn't take the key no matter what. He could only hope Clarke would get there fast enough to help him and Sky and all of their people.

"Your son is there with her," Jaha informed with a sly smile.

"My _son_?"

"Here. Take the key and you can meet him yourself," Thelonious said and reached out a hand with the object in it, certain that this would be enough of an enticement. "Take it and all the pain will go away and all will be left will be joy."

"Never."

Jaha sighed and looked down at the ground. "Marcus, it will truly be better for you if you do."

"I'm not taking that key. I'll meet my son when my wife gives birth to him."

"In pain and torture?" Jaha added. "In the City of Light there is no pain."

"Pain is a part of life!"

"Take him," Thelonious just gave a command and his people apprehended Marcus. There was no point in fighting them all. He was no match against a horde of maniacs who didn't feel any pain.

* * *

To Kane's surprise, he wasn't thrown in jail right away. That was what he expected in the least. Instead, he was taken to a pretty comfy room and locked in there. Yet, before he could figure out what Jaha's game was, the door opened and his jaw dropped as Sky got inside. Right after Sky, there was Thelonious.

"Hi, Marcus," she said as she walked straight toward him with a huge smile plastered on her face and just kissed him right away.

For a moment there, he stood still, letting her do whatever she wanted because he was just too stunned. He couldn't find himself in this situation. All he knew was that this wasn't really his wife because she never smiled like this. He missed the Sky he loved and it broke his heart to be reunited with her like this.

Her lips were tasting his in a tentative kiss and then it grew hotter and before he would lose himself in it, he gathered all the remnants of strength he had in him and grabbed her shoulders, pushing her away and keeping her at distance.

"This isn't you," he just said.

"No, quite the contrary," she argued with the same never-fading smile. "This is the me real me. The me without all the pain and misery you have caused."

"What?" Kane frowned, already feeling desperate. "Sky, I never wanted to hurt you. I love you."

"But you did. Love is pain, after all. At least the love we get to have here. Everything about this sorry excuse of a life is pain. Pain after pain and after pain with brief moments of happiness, but it's never true happiness, isn't it? Because it always follows pain."

"No," Marcus denied, defeated expression on his face. Did he just lose everything there was to lose or everything that was worth fighting for? Would he ever get Sky back? "No, this isn't true and you would agree if only…"

"Oh, stop this." She waved her hand. "I've never been happier. The relieve of all the pain is a blessing. We can live forever in the City of Light. Just take the key, Marcus and all of this will be over."

"No," he said, still adamant in his decision. "Never. I'm sorry, but I will never do that. I can't."

"Just do it, Marcus. Make it stop," Thelonious said and then he was standing behind Sky and his hands were suddenly on her shoulders. Marcus didn't understand Jaha's intentions until he slid his hands down, along her breasts, down to her stomach and stopped there. "Make it stop," he repeated and Sky's arms hugged his own, her pale skin a stark opposite to his dark.

Marcus watched what was happening with a sickening feeling in his stomach, wanting to look away but finding himself not able to, finding himself just frozen in place.

And then it only got worse as Sky turned around and captured Thelonious's lips with her own, kissing him gently and then opening all the way for him, letting his tongue plunder the inside of her mouth. It was like all of Marcus's worst fears just came true. Like all he'd always been afraid of was happening right now and it didn't seem to matter that both Sky and Thelonious weren't themselves. It felt real. It looked real.

Sky moaned as she flung her arms around Thelonious's neck, clinging to his body, kissing him even harder and moaning in pleasure when doing it.

"Stop! Just… stop!" Marcus finally screamed, his own heart broken beyond recognition. "Just… please, stop," he whispered when closing his eyes in pain.

"Take the key," he heard one more time coming from Sky.

"No," came the same firm answer.

"Put him on the cross," she said then and left the room.

He stood there for a moment, not truly understanding what was happening. _Put him on the cross? _No, those words couldn't possibly be spoken by her. She loved him. She told him multiple times he was the love of her life. Why would she…? It was like he had a nightmare and couldn't seem to wake up from it. Why? Oh, right, it was actually reality.

Then there were hands on him, hands taking him somewhere. People dragging him downstairs kicking and screaming because he was this stunned and this shocked. This couldn't be happening. It was like he was being moved, but couldn't feel anything, just being numb for the pain both in his heart and his limbs. He couldn't comprehend any of what was happening.

He was suddenly back outside and the cross was already prepared for him and Sky with Thelonious just stood there still, watching him with nothing on their faces. No feeling. No fear. Just plain nothing. It was nearly as though they were bored to death.

"Sky! Please, Sky! Wake up! This isn't you!" Marcus tried one more time, but he failed. He didn't expect otherwise, but he had to try. He had to.

Then the numbness was gone, replaced by pain so sharp and so vivid and real that he screamed, discovering that he'd never felt something like this before in his entire life. Not when being burnt, marked by the grounders; not when carrying Sky back to camp after the missile had hit. Maybe it'd come close when Mountain Men had started drilling in his leg, but it'd just been a moment and then it stopped. This, this didn't stop. This only got worse.

Still, he refused to take the chip.

And he kept on saying no until Thelonious suddenly had a gun in his hand and it was soon pointed right at Sky's head.

"Take the key, Marcus. I'm asking you one last time," he said, his eyes cold and merciless.

Marcus decided that right now he'd rather deal with Pike back in the camp than with this Jaha who'd supposed to be his friend. He might've been under influence, but he was the first one to get manipulated. The first person who'd ever taken the chip. He was the one who'd spread the disease.

Marcus had no choice. He couldn't let his wife and his unborn child die because of his stubbornness. And even if, why would he want to go on living? Maybe Sky would want him to give up, maybe she would want him to let her die because she wouldn't like to live like this either, but he couldn't do this to their child. He just couldn't.

So he just said, "I'll do it," and saw the smile of triumph appearing on Thelonious's face when he lowered the gun and gave Marcus the chip. And Kane accepted it and swallowed.

And all the pain, just _everything_ was miraculously gone and it felt nearly blissful. In fact, it was the best feeling he'd ever experienced.

Next thing he knew, he was standing in the City of Light, the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. His hair was nearly cut, he didn't have a beard and he had his usual clothes back from the Ark on. There was a woman standing there, her back turned to him. She was holding a small boy's hand.

And then she faced him and he gasped, seeing Sky, seeing his son. They both smiled at him.

"Daddy!" the boy exclaimed and ran to him, letting go of his mom and hugging Marcus's legs tightly. What Marcus felt at this moment, he couldn't really explain. It was just perfect. Perfect happiness. Perfect family. Perfect life.

Then Marcus picked up his son and walked over to his wife and kissed her. They were together. They were happy.

Yet, there was something missing, but none of them knew what it was exactly.

_Because there is no true love without pain._

* * *

**AN: **Oh dear… I managed to get through this without getting sick like the first time I saw that episode. Well, more or less, because I'm definitely a little dizzy. Not because of Sky and Thelonious. I find Jaha so hot that I have trouble writing Sky and Marcus properly, but I'll manage.

Damn it, and you know what? I kind of feel the attraction to the City of Light now.


	18. Chapter 18

**Part 18**

It was like waking up from a truly surreal dream which should have been called a nightmare, but somehow wasn't. It was bliss. It was like taking a short break from life. It was like something that Sky seemed to need, yet, in the same time she regretted it deeply.

It wasn't as though she had a choice in the matter. And the worst part was the moment her mind cleared and she not only remembered the City of Light, but also the time she'd spent in the real world. She remembered everything.

She remembered the scalpel being put to her belly. She remembered the little boy who was always with her in the City of Light and she immediately placed her hand to her stomach, checking if she was still pregnant. She was, thank God. The she remembered the worst. She refused to acknowledge what happened between her and Thelonious and she went straight to… _Put him on the cross_, she could hear herself say those word, she could remember speaking them and watching him being nailed to that thing and remembered herself just standing there, unmoved like she didn't care at all.

That was when she finally uttered something, whispering _no _over and over again when placing her hands on her head.

"Sky," she heard Clarke's voice and the blonde touched her friend's shaking body. "Sky, I need you."

"I did this to him!" Sky finally screamed. "I put him on the cross! It was my fault!" she yelled frantically when looking up into Clarke's eyes. "I did that to him!"

"No, you don't get to break now," Clarke told her in an authoritative voice. "Not yet. I need you! Sky, please!" Clark cupped the woman's face and forced her to look at her because Sky's eyes already wondered away. "Listen to me," she then said slowly, "I need you to be strong. You can save him. You can save Marcus, do you hear me? But first I need you to help me. I can't do this alone, Sky, please."

Sky finally managed to take a deep breath and a good look around. She was still shaking, though. She could see Ontari – as she remembered the new commander from the City of Light – lying on the floor as though she was dead. There was Murphy standing nearby and that was about it. Although she could hear screams in the distance, people probably wanting to get in. People chipped.

"Wait…" Sky then realized something and she stood up, reaching her hand out. "If they're all still chipped… then how am I lucid?"

"Raven was the one to suggest using the bracelets we came down to the ground with and we brought her back with it. Now I did that with you because I need you."

"Can't you just use it on all the others?" Sky asked with a frown.

"We don't have so much time at our hands and we can't stop them from stopping us," Clarke informed. "We need to act. I need to get to the City of Light and find the kill switch. I need to kill Allie."

"If you do this, you'll become just like them all. You won't be able to…" Sky was starting to speak when Murphy interrupted.

"She can if you help us put the Flame in her."

"The what now?"

Clarke briefly explained everything there was to know about the Flame and informed how Sky and Ontari had been in the room together when she'd arrived and how Thelonious had struck Ontari, causing her brain damage and then left to chip the rest.

"But… I'm not a doctor," Sky protested. "I don't know how to…"

"You're an advisor, so you know the basics."

"Yeah, the first aid, but what you're talking about it's a blood transfusion."

"It's not," Murphy interrupted. "It's like in Mount Weather. You were there, in medical. You saw it."

"Actually, Jackson did explain a lot to me then during my stay there when I was bored, but…" Sky started.

"And that's exactly what we need. You can do this. You're my only hope," Clarke said and Sky knew she had no choice. "And if you need a better incentive, it can save Marcus."

"All right. I'll do my best," Sky nodded, pushing the sickening memories of watching Marcus being nailed to a cross out of her head. The time for blaming herself would come later. The breaking part too. And she'd rather not think about kissing Thelonious. That one she chose to pretend hadn't happened at all.

In that moment, Bellamy walked into the room, directing himself straight to Clarke, "We don't have much time. We have to do this now… Nice to see you lucid again, Sky," he nodded towards the brunette, but she didn't exactly returned the enthusiasm, still remembering how he'd made it impossible for Kane to hand Pike over to the grounders and nearly caused him his life in the process when he was sentenced to death.

"Yeah, about that…" he started as though he knew what she thinking, "I'm sorry. I really am. I'm sorry I saw my mistakes so late. I was blinded by grief and started blaming the grounders for everything that went wrong."

"There's no time for this now!" Clarke reminded them and Sky told Murphy to place Ontari's body on the table. Then she prepared everything with the help of medical instruments provided by Bellamy.

"Are you sure about this?" she asked Clarke before Murphy gave her the Flame, but the blonde just nodded.

While the blood was pumping from Ontari to Clarke, Sky walked over to the window, looking down and seeing the terrible view of chipped people climbing up the side of the tower.

"What if they fall?" she asked in fear when turning to Bellamy.

"Kane already made it, so you don't have to worry about him," the young man just answered her.

Soon enough, the door were occupied by chipped people from the other side and Sky glanced at Clarke worryingly. They truly didn't have much time and…

The door finally burst open and a few people ran inside, Marcus and Thelonious both among them.

"Oh, shit," Bellamy cursed and he stuck a gun into Sky's trembling hands.

"I'm not gonna shoot them!" she screamed in fear.

"It's just in case. You might have to."

Their eyes met in a split of a second and Sky grabbed a firm hold of the gun, swallowing hard. She might have to harm somebody if it came to protecting her child, but she truly hoped she wouldn't have to. The last thing she wanted to do was to cause Marcus more pain. Or Thelonious. She cared about them both way too much.

Only Marcus didn't head her way. He attacked Bellamy, but the younger man was ready for the strike and flipped them over, Marcus now being at his mercy.

"No!" Sky screamed when seeing that the phantom of her husband had a knife and would soon stab Bellamy. Blake had his gun already put to Kane's head, but he was waiting. Waiting for Clarke to make it. Waiting until he absolutely had no choice but to kill.

Marcus was strong and Bellamy couldn't hold him off for much longer, the hand with the knife coming dangerously close and then Sky saw the boy's hand clenching over the gun and his finger slowly touching the trigger.

"Bellamy, please, don't!" Sky was done being safe. She wanted to run in that direction and knock that knife out of her husband's hand when suddenly, there was a pair of hands holding her back. "Let me go!" she screamed, trying to free herself from Murphy's hold.

"You're pregnant and you can't get hurt. Thank me later," he just said, still holding on to her.

"Since when do you care?" she just asked him furiously.

"Since I turned a new leaf."

Somehow, Bellamy let go of Kane when jumping away from him, apparently not able to kill him himself and Sky could only be grateful.

Only then Marcus charged him again and Sky used the moment Murphy loosened his hold on her to run there, pushing Marcus out of the way until he fell down, the knife falling from his hands and hitting the floor.

Before he managed to get back up and attack her for a change, everything suddenly stopped. Every single chipped person seemed to freeze and then there were moans of pain all around, people dropping their weapons, getting on their knees as though their burdens were too heavy.

Sky understood that Clarke finally made it to the kill switch and saved them all. Bellamy and Murphy were already helping her out of the Flame, so Sky stayed where she was, watching as Marcus woke up as well and sat up on the ground, a bizarre and confused expression on his face before he finally broke down and covered his face with his hands. The sight of his wrists bandaged was enough to cause Sky to break right there with him. Because she'd done that to him. She'd given the command.

"Marcus," his name came out in a sob from her lips when she got to the ground too and gently placed her hands on each side of his face, causing him to drop his own and actually look at her. "Marcus, I… I'm so sorry," she whispered as tears flooded her eyes and she started to shake along with him. "I never… I would never…"

"It wasn't you," he finally said, his voice hoarse and trembling as well. "I understand that now."

She only nodded when putting her arms around him, hugging him tightly, letting him sob into her hair as she held on to him, not yet believing they were out of the woods. Not yet believing that they survived another horrible thing and were both alive. They and their child.

"The boy…" she heard Marcus's voice in her ear. "The boy… I saw him… I saw him in the City of Light… Was he real too?" he asked when finally pulling away, looking for any confirmation or denial in her eyes.

"I don't know. Maybe. Maybe it's a boy, after all."

Marcus just nodded and then brought his hands to his face once again to wipe the tears.

"I'm still so sorry about it. I just can't… I can't get this picture out of my head. Marcus, I…" Sky started when gently touching his wrists, checking if he was bleeding.

"I'm fine. There's pain, but I'm actually glad that there is. I can't believe I'm saying this, but pain is good. Pain means life and I'll heal. I coagulated the wounds."

"You did what?!" she raised her voice in horror, imagining what that must've been like and knowing that she would have to see those four points for rest of her life along with the mark already made by the grounders and the scar where he himself made the cut.

"It didn't hurt when I did that and it probably saved me from infection, so…" he started and didn't really know how to finish. Maybe he tried to joke and failed miserably. Maybe he just needed a little laugh in his life instead of all this gore and horror and screams. Then he noticed that Sky looked at something behind him, so he turned, seeing Thelonious lying on the ground with his hands covering his face, one arm bleeding. Somebody must've shot him there to stop him from coming after Clarke. Not that a simple wound like this could stop him when he didn't feel any pain. Clarke must've truly ended it all in the last possible second.

Kane wanted to turn back to Sky and say something, but he noticed that she was gone.

She walked over to Thelonious and knelt right next to him on the floor, tearing a part of her shirt away and making a knot on his arm to stop the bleeding.

Once he took his hands away from his face and he noticed her helping him, something inside of him broke. He started shaking, but this time it wasn't from the newly discovered pain. He slowly sat up and finally met her blue eyes, opening his mouth, but nothing came out.

And then, instead of screaming at him or hitting him or turning around and walking away, she actually hugged him, putting her arms around him tightly.

"I'm so sorry," he finally managed to find his tongue and wept into her hair when saying that. "I would never consciously harm you… I…"

"I know. I know you, Thelonious," she assured him when drawing soothing circles on his back with her hands. "I know it wasn't your fault."

They stayed like this for a moment, just embracing and then she pulled away, looking at him and recognizing him for the man she knew and not the stranger that had come back to camp some time ago.

"I'm glad you're truly back," she told him then.

"Me too."

Marcus was still watching them and he didn't know what to think. He knew Jaha hadn't been himself, he knew it firsthand, actually, since he'd been to and back from the City of Light, but he just couldn't take the picture of him kissing Sky out of his head. Or maybe he just couldn't forget how Sky was kissing him back, even if not being herself as well.

Then he shook his head. It wasn't real. None of what they'd done under the influence of Allie was real.

* * *

Sky should've known better that it wasn't over. They might've freed themselves from Allie's mind control game, but there was another danger coming - the most serious one. If Clarke had correct information, the nuclear plants all over the world were melting down and soon, they would all struggle to survive, yet, once again.

Still, Sky couldn't afford to think about this now. Just this once she could leave finding the solution at the hands of somebody better and more qualified to do it. She wished Sinclair was alive and with them, his loss actually taking a toll on her as she was quite fond of the man just as she was fond of Lincoln, but life had to go on for now. Marcus – back to being the Chancellor - Monty, Raven, Jasper, Clarke and Bellamy with many other people were working on finding a place on this earth to survive in. And they had to find it fast or they might not get there in time. At least now the grounders and the Sky Kru had a common goal towards which they were all striving. Maybe they could still have their Arcadia, Sky thought, pushing all the dreadful scenarios of her death and all the people's she loved. They could overcome this if only they worked together. She believe in that firmly.

As the rest worked, Sky was doing her best to help Thelonious. He couldn't come to her sessions when he'd been the Chancellor, but he'd lost that title a long time ago and now she could see him freely and do her best to help him. She was proud that both Jasper and Raven seemed to be doing just fine for now.

Sky's talks with Jaha were surprisingly good and fruitful. He didn't have to hold anything back anymore as he was finally able to just let her in and let her help him. He didn't have to pretend to be strong for the whole human race anymore and he could show her the vulnerability he was hiding inside. She recognized the feature as it once attracted her to Marcus. Thelonious, too, possessed a wounded soul, now tormented by everything he'd done under the influence of the chip. His spirit was completely crashed and Sky wanted to make him see that it wasn't his fault. That he was just a victim of mind control and emotional manipulation. That he wasn't the guilty party anymore. Becca, the woman who created Allie in the first place, was since she basically destroyed the world.

There were times at her sessions, that Sky marveled at how much she didn't actually know about Jaha. She wished she'd gotten to know him better sooner. They were friends, but somehow they hadn't been this open to each other before. Or maybe he hadn't been.

One thing she didn't expect was that Marcus actually got very jealous of all the time she spent with his used-to-be rival.

"Oh, come on! I'm just doing my job. I am helping him, Marcus. Can't you see how broken he is?"

"Maybe he should be," Kane said to her surprise. "He was the first person to take the chip and the first to start this whole madness. He put a gun to your head, Sky!"

"And I put you on a cross and I don't see you blaming me for it," she pointed out with a frown. She didn't understand where all of that was coming from.

"Sky…"

"We were all under Allie's influence. He was too and it wasn't his fault. He was all alone and completely lost. You know that he would never hurt me when being himself."

"Maybe that's the problem. Maybe that's always been the problem," Marcus spoke. "He loves you and all he does it either to get you or to get away from you. He left the camp in search of the City of Light because he couldn't handle being this close to you. Don't you see this? And then he took the chip to forget about you. To actually stop feeling the pain of unrequited love."

"Marcus," Sky said in shock, "I fell in love with _you_. I chose _you_ and I married _you_. You are the father of my child. Where is all of this jealously coming from? You know well whom I'm devoted to just as you know that I have no way of influencing other people's feelings."

"I don't know," Kane reluctantly admitted, "maybe it's always been there," he said, realizing that he was repeating exactly what she'd told him back in Polis before all this madness happened. And she'd been talking about losing him just like he was afraid he would lose her now. "I just always felt threatened by him. Without his interest in you, I would've never noticed you. If it hadn't been for him…" Marcus just shook his head. "It's just that he loved you first and I came along later and I never felt like I had the right to be with you."

"But I chose you," she reminded him. "I didn't feel anything for Thelonious."

"I know. I just… I can't get the picture of you two kissing out of my head."

Sky only nodded sadly when biting on her lower lip. Because the truth was that it haunted her as well.

"There's nothing we can do about what already happened. We just have to focus on fixing us and everything around us, Marcus. We need to save our people. Find a place to survive. Then we can worry about the insignificant things like these. Because in comparison to what's happening, they are insignificant."

"I know," he admitted when she cupped his face, wishing that he'd shaved already. "I know."

* * *

After her next session with Thelonious, Clarke actually stopped when passing Sky in the corridor and said, "You're stringing him along."

"What?" Sky turned to the girl with a frown.

"Jaha," Clarke followed with an explanation. "He's obviously in love with you and you're stringing him along. Like a back-up plan in case something happens to Marcus."

"Clarke, I'd never…" Sky started, actually astonished with how the girl saw things.

"I'm not saying you even realize it yet. You might be doing it unconsciously," the blonde explained, "but you're still doing it."

"I don't think I…"

"It's none of my business, really," Clarke quickly interrupted. "I'm just saying - be careful. It'll be better for the both of us if you let him go."

After that, she resumed walking and Sky just stood there, dumbstruck.

Was that true? Was she truly doing such a horrible thing to Thelonious? Only he was her friend and she loved him. She did. It wasn't romantic, was it? She was truly in love with her husband and that was the love she'd always dreamt of. She knew that. She just cared about another male in this camp and it wasn't a crime, was it?

* * *

_Six months later_

The room was filled with screams of pain coming from panting Sky.

Because she couldn't do this. She just couldn't seem to do this. Wouldn't. She wanted the pain to finally stop, to be over, to cease. She wanted her child already in her arms. She didn't want to feel the cramps in her belly and uterus and the pain in her spine and… just everywhere. She just wanted to have her baby and not feel the pain anymore.

"I can't do this!" she hollered as she tried to breathe the way she was supposed to.

The door opened in that moment and a man walked inside.

"Marcus! I need Marcus! I can't do this without him! He promised!" she yelled when not even looking at whom just got in.

"He's not here," Thelonious said when approaching the bed she was lying on, Jackson standing over her, trying to deliver her baby, "but I am," Jaha finished when taking her hand firmly in his and sitting on the edge of the bed. "We can do this, Sky. We can do this together. Hold on to me."

She looked into his eyes and experienced a strange feeling of peace overcoming her as though his presence was truly helping. Marcus might not be here, but Thelonious was and he could, indeed, help her get through this.

Sky's eyes widened as she experienced a small, perfect moment of clarity, something getting through to her despite all the pain and maybe actually dulling it a little. She was finally able to admit what everyone else already seemed to know. She was in love with two men. One she came to love easily, almost instantly and effortlessly, but the other had won her heart over time, almost sneaking up on her and she didn't even notice what was happening until it was too late. He won her over with his personal evolution, devotion, his willingness to mend and to change.

…_We never are…_

_The truth is that we never are ready for more pain, but when it comes, we just have to work through it in order to overcome it._

* * *

**AN: **OMG! What's happening?! Where's Marcus?! What happened to him?! What the hell is happening?! I might or might not know it myself just yet. I'm sure the plan will crystallize in my head once the next season comes out.

**AN ****update****: **No waiting for the next season. I decided to finally end this story on my terms and with my idea. One more chapter to go. Prepare!

**AN2: **In the meantime enjoy two videos I made for season 3:

All the way for you: youtube

* * *

watch?v=uev4sLnPLaY

* * *

Battlefield: youtube

* * *

watch?v=0lrZ1eWFLwY

* * *

Full links in my profile


	19. Chapter 19

**AN: **This chapter may be a little more explicit than the others.

* * *

**Part 19**

_Few years later_

It was an island in the middle of an ocean. An island that was probably the sole survivor. An island where everything thrived and grew and the water was crystal clean, a safe haven, a shelter, protection, a place that excepted everyone no matter who they were and what they looked like. A true City of Light - Thelonious's dream.

Only it wasn't called that. It was called the Promise Land.

Houses were slowly being built, a community made, a whole city rising. The human race lived on.

Near one of a beach houses, three children were playing a game, jumping the waves as they came, not even knowing their father was watching them from afar carefully so no harm would come to any of them.

The smallest – a beautiful girl – pointed her finger at her eldest brother.

"I heard you were named after your father!" she said perfectly, proud of her speaking skills, even though she was still lisping a little.

The boy stopped playing and looked at her with a frown.

"It makes sense!" the middle child, also a boy, said. "That's why we look so different! Hey! I wanna be named after my father too!" he then complained and turned around, taking upon running towards the house.

* * *

_NOW_

After over a week of working almost whole days and nights without any rest, Marcus and Raven came to a conclusion that they needed more info about the nuclear plants that, according to Allie, were currently melting down, slowly causing the world to become toxic for any human being once again. Reyes decided that they needed to check the nearest plant out to in order to find out what exactly they were dealing with and maybe then they would be able to run a successful enough simulation to estimate the safest place on earth. Next, all they would be left to do would be praying for a miracle so it all worked out.

"You can't be serious!" Sky raised her voice immediately on hearing from Marcus that he would gather up a small group and go with them.

"Raven is working on protective suits as we speak," he tried to explain, "so we'll be perfectly safe."

"You can't know that for sure!" Sky protested. "What makes you think that you'll even be needed out there?! I understand an engineer and a guard coming, but you?"

"I'm only the Chancellor, right?" Marcus asked, by now angry with his wife.

"No, Marcus, what I mean is…"

"They need supervision," he cut in.

"No, you're wrong here. They never needed your guidance. You sent a hundred kids to the ground, so they'd die. You never really expected that the earth would be survivable. You were all just lucky."

"We?" Kane picked up on that. "Sky, what's happening here?" he asked then. "What's happening between us?"

"I mean you and the whole Council back on the Ark," she explained, ignoring his second question. "But those kids proved you wrong and most importantly, with what they've all been through… they're not kids anymore. They're adults. They can make the trip on their own."

"Sky, I handed my power over as the Chancellor once and you saw what happened with Pike. I need to go with them."

"Bellamy isn't going to rebel against you, Marcus. Not again."

"We used to agree on things," Kans just said with a sigh, shaking his hand as he placed his hands on his hips and looked down.

"No. You made the decisions and they were always for the best of the whole mankind or your people and I compromised," Sky finally told him what she'd been thinking for a while now. "And I was fine with it. Until now. Because right now you have a son on the way and you need to think about your own survival."

"I am doing this for our son! I need to make sure we'll find a land on which we can actually survive!" Marcus growled angrily and Sky made a step back, surprised by his sudden outburst. "Sky, I'm sorry… I just…"

"You just need to oversee everything. You always have to have control over things, but maybe for just once in your life you could let go of that and see how amazingly that feels."

"If I do, we'll all crash and burn."

"So we will," she just said and turned around, her back to him now. "You don't have to go. They don't need you. We do," she finished and then made her way to her room in which she just found a place to sit and cry. Maybe it was the pregnancy hormones or maybe she just didn't know how to live anymore. Not with everything they'd been through with Marcus and everything they'd done to each other, even if not consciously. She still saw the nails being hammered into his limbs every time she saw his scars, but it wasn't even the worst thing. The worst was that she kept remembering him trying to kill himself when he'd marched off to make peace with the grounders and they'd locked him up instead. Had he thought about her then? She knew he'd known that he might not come back in the first place, yet, he'd gone there anyway. How could she trust him if even during peace he was willing to just march on into the unknown and possibly dangerous territory? And all of that once again under the pretext of saving the whole humanity. Maybe deep down inside he thought he needed to keep doing it to repent for his past sins, but everyone but himself already forgave him. Not so long ago Sky had offered help, but he refused, saying he was doing just fine. To her he wasn't doing fine and maybe he never did, just pretending with her, so all in all, she truly felt helpless.

* * *

Despite her begging him to stay, Marcus set off with the group anyway. Sky couldn't truly explain it, but she'd always felt like he was chasing death and finally he would catch up with it. The moment they'd met she'd felt everything for him, but then she'd actually felt hatred towards him too when he'd wanted to stay behind on the Ark and sacrifice himself. She'd known it was because he'd felt guilty about those three hundred and twenty dead, but he'd never stopped to think about how she would feel about him dying like that. Was it even normal to both strongly love and sometimes hate someone in the same time? Why was she the one who always waited, who always suffered and worried sick? Even when she'd been in ton DC when the missile had hit, Marcus had just marched straight into danger and almost killed himself, carrying her back to camp.

"Sky? Sky are you all right?" Thelonious's voice got to her like through a broken line.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" she asked him when finally meeting his gaze and shifting in her chair.

"Marcus will be fine," he told her as though he knew exactly what she was worried about. "He's a survivor. He'll probably find a way for us all to survive and come back unscathed."

"I wish it were that easy," Sky just sighed.

"What do you mean?" Jaha frowned, but she just shook her head.

"Nothing I want to talk about with you," she admitted when biting her lip. Because it somehow seemed wrong to be discussing this right now and with Thelonious of all people. She was supposed to be the one helping him and not the other way around.

"I also think that I'm better now," Jaha continued, understanding that she didn't want to talk about her husband and respecting that. "I'm much better now and it's all thanks to you. I thought… I thought I would never get past all of what I…" his voice trailed off and then he just sighed, lowering his head and rubbing his forehead, "you know. You know it all and there's no need to get through this again." He raised from his seat, so she did the same and faced him.

"I know it wasn't you. Whatever you did under the influence of Allie, I forgave you and everyone around here forgave you as well. They know firsthand how tempting it was to just let the pain go."

"But still, I was the first."

"I liked the carefree life I had in the City of Light," Sky suddenly confessed. "I've never actually told Marcus about that, but I did. We all did. It was peace and happiness and nothing else."

"Maybe we could have that for real," Jaha suggested, "if we find a survivable land."

"It's doubtful, but I admire your faith," she said. It was true. Thelonious was always a man of faith and even now, after everything he'd been through and after his own belief in the City of Light and in leading his people there, he still was that man. She truly admired that and liked that he finally showed her the real him during their sessions.

"Thelonious, do I string you along?" the question was out of her mouth before she managed to stop herself and then she just stood there, afraid to look him in the eye or maybe afraid of what she might see there.

"What?" he just asked as though he didn't understand. "What do you mean?"

"It's just what Clarke said to me," Sky admitted when finally gathering the courage and looking up into the dark eyes of his. "She told me that I might string you along without even realizing it and if it's true, then I don't want that. Maybe I need to let you go," she admitted.

"Sky, you're not keeping me by your side," he slowly said, finally understanding what she meant. "I'm here because I want to be here. _I _made that choice. There's no tether binding me to you, I promise."

"Well, ok, then, but I want you to know that I won't hold it against you if you decide… to move on and look for a life for yourself."

"Noted," he just said. "I'll be seeing you." After that, he was gone, leaving her feeling strongly alone.

* * *

After a few relatively calm days, a new crisis arisen with the return of Marcus and his group. Sky heard the commotion and then, when she left the Ark and walked outside, she heard the noise too.

"What happened?" she asked when making her way through the crowd and finally standing right in front of Bellamy whose face was ashen. "What happened?!" she repeated although deep down inside she seemed to already know. Maybe she always have. Maybe she always knew this day would eventually come and everything she'd been through so far was simply meant to prepare her for it.

"He… he tore his suit," Raven came with an explanation, "when we were in the plant."

"But he's ok, right?" Sky made sure even though she knew Marcus wasn't.

And then he came out from behind the group and she could see the difficulty with which he walked and the beads of sweat on his face.

"I'm fine, really. It's just exhaustion catching up with me," he said and smiled to her.

She didn't feel like smiling at all. Actually, she didn't know what to do or feel. It was like she closed herself up for everything in order to protect herself this time. She had sworn once that she would never again cry because of him.

"He has a fever, so I'd say he's not fine," Raven warned.

* * *

Fever turned into shivers and those turned into what they all feared – cancer, the lesions appearing.

Marcus died within a week.

All this time Sky had spent sitting by his side and holding his hand. She never left, but also never shed a tear. Something seemed to shut off inside of her once and for all, a protective shield risen around her what was left from her heart. She was numb to everything and she didn't even register Marcus asking Thelonious to protect her on his deathbed.

"You know I will, my friend," Jaha said when taking Kane's free hand into his. "You don't even have to ask. I will _always_ take care of her."

Marcus just smiled in response, nodding and then his eyes focused on his beautiful wife and with that sight, with his hand still in hers, he released his last, ragged breath.

In the moment his eyes lost all the life, his hand went slack and he stopped breathing, she just felt numb and was sitting there, wondering why, wondering where the pain was and if she'd already used it all up. It was like she was still chipped, except she really wasn't and she didn't feel happy. She felt nothing. Just numbness. There was nothing left as though this was the last and final time Marcus broke her heart, maybe shattering it completely, making it impossible for her to feel anything anymore.

* * *

It didn't get better with the ceremonial burning of the body. It didn't get better with the days that came after or even with that one particular afternoon when Raven screamed loudly enough for the whole Arcadia to hear her. And it wasn't a scream of pain, it was full of happiness and hope. Happiness that she and Monty with the help of Wick who'd eventually come around, managed to run the simulation when using the satellites still on orbit and seeing the whole earth and places they could live in. That was how they found an island in the middle of an ocean just in the perfect distance from all the nuclear plants. They might still not survive out there if they even managed to get there, but it was their best chance.

Sky didn't care.

She truly struggled to even acknowledge the life happening around her and the people moving forward. She felt like she was just stuck in place, stuck being pregnant and doing it all without her husband. At this point she didn't even know if she'd like to fight over the same issue with Marcus over and over again if he'd survived. After all, he usually did what he always thought he had to – die or sacrifice himself for all the sins he committed and for all the humanity, including his family. It pained Sky that he'd never truly forgiven himself and she regretted realizing it herself so late. Because if she'd done it earlier, she might've had a chance at helping him, being mad at him or herself seemed a better way to go than mourning him.

Right now she carried the child inside her, waiting for the boy to be born, she ate and drunk and slept and just breathed. And that was it.

When the time to try and move to the island came – Luna and her people whom Clarke knew turned out to be very helpful with the huge ship they lived on – they all left everything behind and set off on a journey to the Promise Land as Thelonious started calling it, being the new elected Chancellor.

What should've bothered Sky was the fact that she didn't care if she and her unborn baby survived. They might as well cease to exist, die at sea or in the Promise Land, killed by radiation, after all. It did bother Thelonious, so he was doing his best to keep her alive and healthy. And she would always and forever be grateful for that.

* * *

It happened slowly, over time. At first Sky noticed beauty on the island. She found clean water, saw nature untainted by ruins and blood and violence. In the wonders all around her she felt something resembling happiness or at least hope.

Giving birth to her son was especially difficult for her and they told her afterwards that she'd been calling for Marcus when the pain had gotten the worst. Only Marcus had never come. He'd never seemed to be there when she'd wanted him the most, when she'd wanted him to stay.

Instead, Thelonious had. Thelonious whom she seemed to get to know better and better every day, always feeling amazed by all the things she'd so far missed. After what happened with the City of Light, he'd opened up to her more than ever before, finally letting the guards she'd never liked down and showing her the person he truly was with no shame. And she liked that person. Got to know that person. Wished she'd known that man before and knew the choice she'd made back on the Ark when still being in space would've been so much more difficult then.

* * *

Six months after giving birth to Marcus, as Sky called her son, the Promise Land was thriving. Buildings were being raised, a whole new civilization created. It was, indeed, beautiful to see grounders and Sky people working together, accepting one another, liking or even getting to love each other. Sky was happy that she found it in herself to smile again. She felt like she'd woken up from a very long and very bad dream in which she was just stuck in place, missing up on the life going on all around her. Missing up on Raven finding her happiness with Wick again and finally letting go of all the pain and her insecurities. Missing up on Octavia falling in love with Jasper as they'd helped each other through their own losses. Missing up on Clarke and Bellamy becoming a couple as well. Yes, Sky had been asleep for a very long time now, asleep in order to spare herself the pain, the heartache, the fear of having to do everything alone, of being a window.

She didn't hold a grudge against Marcus anymore and had a good cry one night when Clarke watched over her baby and she just sat down with Raven and they talked. She did miss her husband, but she managed to forgive him too. After all, she made the choice of being with him, of giving him her heart when knowing well that she might get hurt. She got over it. She thought life ended with losing the one person you loved, but then her eyes opened widely on the realization that there were so many more people to love and that love didn't have to be romantic at all. She loved her son with love so perfect, pure and unconditional that it literally took her breath away every time she looked at him. She loved her friends and… yes, she did love Thelonious as it now went beyond just friendship. In fact, the feelings she'd been having for him recently were far from being platonic. She loved everything about the person he was deep inside, the person whose faith never shook despite all the setbacks, the person who was now a strong but also so good and merciful a ruler. And she desired him deeply, something that she found out by a sheer accident when walking up on him when he was taking a bath in the lake.

She didn't mean to. She was just taking a stroll through the woods when she saw him immersed in the water from waist down, his dark skin shining in the sun, the muscles stretching over his back. She stood there for a moment, amazed by what she saw, amazed at how beautiful he truly was and her mouth just went dry. She didn't know for how long she would manage to resist and finally break, giving over to the temptation. She knew she was a free woman and had the right to desire someone, especially someone she knew loved her back. And Thelonious did. Still. After all this time, she could still see it every time he looked at her. She could see it by the way he was with her when she gave birth to Marcus. He was always there when she needed him and she never had to ask.

_Marcus_, she nearly sighed at the memory of her husband, the only thing standing between her and Jaha now. She felt like she was betraying Kane by choosing his rival, even though technically he was the one to betray her when choosing the greater good instead of his family.

She left quietly, disappearing in the woods just in time for Thelonious to turn around and see no one standing behind him.

* * *

Sky finally broke when she saw Thelonious talking and laughing with some woman - a very pretty grounder who seemed to like him very much. In fact, Sky had seen her way too often around him recently and he always smiled to her politely. Maybe even too politely, she decided, losing her grip and giving the woman a very rude answer to a question she asked and then leaving the room.

Thelonious found her in the garden at the back of his house afterwards.

"I don't know what Leia did to deserve such treatment. Was her cake so awful?" he joked when sitting next to Sky on the wooden bench and looking at the sky above just as she did. It became a tradition that every Saturday there was a gathering in Thelonious's house, a sign of a good faith, of companionship with the grounders, Sky Kru and Luna's people.

"It wasn't that," Sky finally admitted after a long moment of silence in which all of her insides trembled. She didn't even remember not reacting this way to his presence. It was like every part of him, no matter how close to her, was electrifying her body, making her say and do crazy things and making her want to just grab him and…

"Then what was it, Sky?" he asked and then looked at her and she knew it was the moment she could use to finally come clean with her feelings, to finally tell him the truth, to make him happy. After all, he'd waited for her for so long that she owed him that if she was feeling it too. Or maybe she was too late. Maybe he'd already moved on.

"What's bothering you?" he asked in a soft, quiet voice when she met his eyes. Then he reached his hand to her face an touched her cheek. In that moment the dam broke and she leaned into his palm, blissful expression appearing on her face.

When she opened her eyes – she didn't even remember closing them – Thelonious looked almost shocked, a happy disbelief on his face and hope in his eyes.

She took this as a yes and before she knew it, she closed the distance left between them herself and her lips finally tasted his and her head and heart seemed to explode. Because kissing his seemed like heaven. It awoke her completely, thrusting new hope into her, making her happy, causing her heart to mend despite her previous surety that it would never be able to. She was ready to trust and to love again, to give herself over completely to another man and she knew that this time she wouldn't get hurt because he would never hurt her. Sooner he would cause pain to himself as he'd been doing ever since he'd told her he had feelings for her on the Ark and she'd shot him down.

"Wait…" he whispered, stopping the kiss, but keeping his face close enough for her to see everything his gaze carried. It was months, years even worth of pain and then there was hope and fear, all bare for her to see. And she loved him for it even more. "Don't do this just because…" he started, but she stopped him right away.

"I'm not," she assured him when cupping his face and experiencing the overwhelming feeling of belonging. After all, he always belonged to her as he'd handed her over his heart a long time ago, but now she could finally return that. "This is real and it has nothing to do with Marcus. This is you and me."

"But you never before felt this way. What changed?" he wanted to know.

"You never showed me the person you truly were, Thelonious. Not on the Ark. Well, when not counting how you stayed behind to made it possible for me and Marcus to get to the ground. But it didn't matter if I felt something there because I thought you were dead. When we reunited, you were still closed off and still hiding. It wasn't until you came back from the City of Light and opened up to me. That was when it started. Somehow you hid all the most amazing parts of you and they made me fall in love with you. That and the fact that you've been so patient with me."

"Love is patient," he simply said. "Love never dies. Love carries on even when there's pain. Love is the only thing you should always be fighting for. The only thing that's always right to fight for. That is why I never left your side. I didn't because I wanted to be by your side. I didn't care how. I've loved you from the first moment I saw you and I just had to be with you, even if only as a friend."

It was exactly what made Thelonious so different than Marcus, Sky thought. Kane would always put humanity and its safety and survival first. He would never allow himself to be crazy for love. He would never be willing to sacrifice everything to keep his love alive.

The moment Sky smiled to Thelonious, he was the one to kiss her and she forgot what she'd been thinking. All that mattered was them and their kiss and their happiness. Pure, pure happiness, she thought dizzily as she flung her arms around his neck and brought him closer, tasting him, going deeper, meeting his tongue, feeling her whole body responding and wanting him so desperately she couldn't possibly wait.

And she didn't have to. The party was going to an end anyway, so once all the guests left, they stumbled into Thelonious's bedroom, kissing, never wanting to let go of each other with the exception of parting to tear their clothes away from their bodies.

Her hands slid down his muscled chest, stopping just at his waist until she undid his pants and released him completely, grabbing him and stroking gently, marveling at how big he actually was. His lips found hers again as he moaned deeply in his throat, a sound sending shivers throughout her whole body, wetness pooling up between her legs. She was trembling with need for him and was glad when they were both finally naked and in bed, him kissing her and them lowering his mouth to her neck, to her breasts, nearly worshipping her. She wanted to tell him to hurry up, but she didn't, living through the torturous pleasure just because she knew he'd waited for way too long to just do it fast. They could go fast later. And then slow again. And however they liked.

Once he finally settled between her legs, ready to slid inside, he looked at her as though he never wanted to stop.

"I love you, Thelonious," she said in that moment. It just slipped without her even thinking about it, but it turned out to be the perfect thing to say in this moment.

"Say it again," he asked her when cupping her face, hovering above her and just meeting her clear blue eyes with his dark.

"I love you. So much."

"I love you too," he answered and finally entered her, causing her to moan in overwhelming pleasure and shudder with need.

And it was just the beginning because she wanted more and more and more and more of him when holding on to him, causing him to lose control completely just like he'd done it to her, causing the sweat to break all over his body and admiring it glistening in the setting sun. He truly was beautiful and fitted so perfectly with her.

She finally found her home. With him. On earth. In the Promise Land. A place free of all the pain and loss and suffering. A perfect haven.

And when she and Thelonious got married, she would tell Clarke that he never was a plan B. In fact, he was her whole new life. He and her son.

* * *

_Sometime before on the Ark_

From the moment he saw her, he was in love with her. It was like she was always there in his heart, but he just didn't know it. He should've. He should've noticed her, but with him living on a completely opposite side of the Ark and always busy, always bothered by the survival of the human race, by the everyday problems like lack of air or clean water to drink or a crisis in a greenhouse, he never seemed to have time for love, maybe just a few flings, but not love.

Well, love was stubborn and it found himself.

He'd struggled for a few days, telling himself he shouldn't start anything new, shouldn't be talking to her, especially not now when he had to decide whether to send the 100 to the ground. It seemed better to do that than float them all, but on the other hand, maybe it was the exact equivalent of floating. And he knew what his friend in the Council, Marcus, would think.

Yet, in the end nothing stopped him and he did catch her after her last session that day and he did introduce himself.

"I know who you are," she admitted, looking at him a little skittishly, but yet with those blue eyes clear as a spring or sky seen from the ground must've been like, "Chancellor," she added, her voice a little shaky. But he didn't notice that because he needed to 'congratulate' himself on what an idiot he was! Of course she knew he was the Chancellor. Everyone knew that. "Did I do something wrong?" she immediately followed with a question and that was the moment he actually saddened, realizing she was afraid.

Well, he would have to show her that he wasn't scary at all. In fact, he was a man like all of them and he had his own fears as well. More so maybe than everyone else because there was an impossible burden laid on his shoulders.

* * *

_Few years later_

"Daddy! Daddy!" Little Wells finally reached Thelonious. "I want to be named after you too!"

"You what?" Jaha chuckled on hearing that and he picked his son up. "Where is this coming from?"

"Marcus is named after his father. Tanya noticed! And the kids in school always tell us that we're not really family!"

"Of course you are!" Sky showed up and she knelt in front of her little daughter and her eldest son. "Skin color or biology don't make family. Love and belonging do. Always remember that. Also, I think it's time for you all to find out more about Marcus's biological father," she added.

"Does this mean that dad isn't really my dad?" little Marcus asked in confusion when looking up at Thelonious.

"No." Sky shook her head. "Thelonious will always be your dad because he's the one who raised you. But he isn't your biological father."

The children's faces were even more confused now and Sky just stood up, looking at her husband in search for help.

"I guess we have to explain biology to them as well. Truly, what do they teach you at school?" Jaha shook his head theatrically and Sky laughed. They all directed themselves to the garden where they would sit and talk.

Sky had come to terms with the fact that Marcus and she were always meant to say goodbye because he would always choose the greater good and sooner or later, he was bound to sacrifice himself for it. She always feared it and eventually, it happened. He was taken away from her by a mere twist of fate, by sheer accident causing a rip in his protective suit.

She could trust Thelonious that he would never do the same to her because he would always choose her and their family as nothing else mattered to him, not his possessions, not his title, nothing.

Sky thought that in love she would always have to comprise, but with Jaha it came so easily she didn't even notice it. She didn't have to be the one doing the most of the work anymore or suffering the most. They were doing it all together, sharing an equal burden, but mostly, they were just happy, suffering cut to a minimum like those two other times she'd had to give birth again. They did decide to finish on three children with Thelonious, eventually getting Sky a contraception implant.

After she and Thelonious finally managed to explain everything to the kids and put them to bed as it was late, they were tired and it was a school night, Sky could enjoy herself in the arms of her husband in bed.

And when she was falling asleep, spent and satisfied and happy in his arms, she thought of her mother and her perception of love. She'd once told Sky that she needed to be patient for love to come to her and that it would be amazing, it would change her whole life and even if ended prematurely, it would be worth everything.

And it was, Sky thought. She experienced it all. There was one thing her mother didn't know about, though - you could love more than once and more than one person. Life didn't end with the end of love. You just had to rely on yourself to survive because even though losing love hurt, you could pick yourself up again and find joy in other things. The world truly didn't end with death of others.

And sometimes you could find a new beginning. Something you never expected would happen. Something that made you so happy your head would spin.

Sky was lucky that she did find it. She managed to survive the end of her love for Marcus. She managed to survive his death even though she'd thought she never would. And she managed to open herself up for love again.

Yes, she proved that she, after all, was stronger than she thought. And her mother would be proud.

**The end**

* * *

**AN: **I know, I know. You didn't expect this, but quite frankly, I was thinking of making Sky end up with Thelonious the very moment I started writing this story two years ago. I never thought I would go through with it though, but I decided not to wait for the next season another year and then probably next and… yeah. I needed to finish this story on my own terms and I wanted to picture real life, the struggle, the different characters people have, how they change and evolve and sometimes they don't and how the end of love isn't the end of life and happiness because this is exactly what we all need to know. That it will get better. That we may find something better.

I hope you're not disappointed with this conclusion and that you still like this story. Thank you for taking this journey with me.

* * *

**AN 2: **There's one final video - _Heal My Wounds:_

Youtube

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watch?v=EgTmdlK9QT4

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**AN3: + **Thelonious's POV - _I come to you in pieces:_

Youtube

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watch?v=OA7YuRoMtN4

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full links in my profile


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